What is Xnoter?
Xnoter is a free, open-source software application designed specifically for academic note taking and research organization. Developed as an alternative to commercial reference management tools, Xnoter provides a simple yet robust set of features to help students and researchers collect, organize and share notes and resources from their studies.
Key features of Xnoter include:
- Digital note outlines - Hierarchically organize notes with topics, subtopics and details
- Insert citations - Cite books, journal articles, websites and more using standard citation styles like APA and MLA
- Tag system - Use tags to categorize and connect related notes and resources
- Attachment support - Attach PDFs, images, audio files and more to relevant notes
- Note sharing and collaboration - Export as text, HTML or PDF to share notes with other Xnoter users
- Word export - Generate formatted Word document based on note outline for easy manuscript creation
In addition to Windows and Linux versions, Xnoter is also available as a portable app that can run directly from a flash drive without needing installation. The app includes comprehensive help documentation for new users.
While not as feature-rich as proprietary research tools, Xnoter stands out for being completely free while offering the core functionality needed for academic reading, writing and study organization. For students and scholars looking for a free, ad-supported alternative to tools like Evernote and EndNote for organizing their work, Xnoter is a capable option worth considering.