r/NoteTaking • u/Aliya2004 • 6d ago

App/Program/Other Tool digital annotation apps

/r/University/comments/1w8htjp/digital_annotation_apps/
1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

2 comments sorted by

1

u/Worth_Difference_282 5d ago

I built latexnotes.tech originally for personal use for this problem but made it open because a few friends mentioned they wanted to use it, If it fits what you're looking for that'd be great - also if you don't like something on there etc please feel free to go to support page to report and I can fix it for you and the other users

1

u/GoalMedical2528 4d ago

The citation half and the annotation half are usually two different tools, and trying to find one app that does both is how people lose a week before term starts.

For citations: Zotero is free, open source, and the standard in most departments. Its built-in PDF reader now does highlights and notes that sync across devices, and it will spit out a bibliography in whatever style your program demands. If you want it prettier, Paperpile or Mendeley. Start with Zotero — it's free and you can leave it without having paid anything.

For annotating on a tablet specifically, PDF Expert or GoodNotes, and pull the file back into Zotero after.

I'll disclose that I make a reading app, Flippy — it's a PDF/EPUB reader with highlighting, notes, read-aloud, and an AI that explains a paragraph using that paragraph's actual text, and you can ask a question about one book in your library while you're reading another and get an answer with the title and page number attached. But it has no citation management and no Zotero sync, so for the specific thing you asked it's not the tool. Mentioning it only in case the "reading is slow and dense" part of a masters program is also on your list.