Portal Natural Sciences

For statistical computing

The R project

R is an excellent open-source software for statistical analyses and graphical representations.

Data Science Platform

Anaconda

Anaconda package manager for Python and R: Anaconda is a free toolset for data science applications. It enables easy installation and combination of a large selection of Python and R code libraries and effective management of programming environments and software packages.

SciFlow

SciFlow makes it easy to write and format scientific texts – whether for a specific journal or as a student paper. SciFlow offers many templates, grammar checking in German and English, an upload function for Word manuscripts and the option of citing with Zotero, Mendeley etc. For groups, SciFlow enables real-time collaboration and the shared use of all references in the text. Finished work can be exported to PDF, LaTeX and Word, among others. The Bern University Library has licensed SciFlow for the entire UniBE campus.

LaTex

LaTeX is a word processing system that is ideal for creating scientific texts of all kinds. It has particularly useful functions for creating complex documents, and is noteworthy for its stability, flexibility and its high typographic quality. LaTeX is open source, can be used free of charge and is available for all common operating systems.

BioRender

BioRender provides thousands of icons and many templates for professional scientific illustrations and posters. Ideal for visualising cellular processes, experimental setups, laboratory techniques and much more.

PlagScan

Will be DISCONTINUED by 19/20 May 2025 and replaced by Turnitin. The plagiarism detection software Plagscan is available to all lecturers and employees at the University of Bern. A detailed test report shows possible plagiarism and plagiarised sources.

Turnitin

The University of Bern uses Turnitin (successor solution to the previous PlagScan) to detect plagiarism. The software issues detailed test reports that can be edited interactively. Turnitin can be used by lecturers and university administration staff with their Switch eduID via a browser login. Students cannot use turnitin to scan work.

Zotero

Zotero is a reference management software that can be used on all common operating systems. Simple to use, it is the ideal software for managing literature, even for smaller papers, and can therefore be used profitably right from the start of your studies. Zotero is free and open source. The University of Bern and the PHBern have set up a Zotero Institutional Plan for Zotero cloud storage. By registering with the institutional e-mail address, unlimited storage is available in the Zotero Cloud.

EndNote

EndNote or EndNote Online supports you in managing references, writing papers and academic publishing: from searching for literature to collecting and organising references, formatting citations and creating a complete bibliography. Members of the University of Bern receive a discount on the product licence via the UniBE software shop.

BibTex

BibTeX is recommended for creating citations and bibliographies in documents created with LaTeX word processing. BibTeX is free and open source and is included in the usual LaTeX standard installations (e.g. MikTex for Windows, MacTex for Mac, TeX Live for Linux). The bibliographic data is managed in a .bib file, which can be created and modified with various reference management softwares. The open source software JabRef is specially tailored to BibTeX files. JabRef is platform-independent and runs on all common operating systems.

Citavi

Citavi supports you in writing papers: from researching, collecting and organising references and citations to formatting citations and creating a complete bibliography. Citavi offers helpful functionalities for organising knowledge, especially for humanities scholars and social scientists. Members of the University of Bern and the PH Bern can use Citavi free of charge with a campus licence.

Mendeley

Mendeley is a free reference management software that is available for Windows, Mac and Linux. It is used to organise scientific articles and PDFs and to create citations and bibliographies. Mendeley makes collecting, managing and sharing literature and in-text citations simple and straightforward.

Orcid

ORCID iD is a 16-digit number combination that uniquely identifies researchers and their publications regardless of spelling variants or transcriptions of one’s name. You can register your personal ORCID number free of charge. The personal profile on orcid.org can be used to manage information on publications, training and employment as well as funding. It is possible to choose individual authorisation settings for each item. ORCID is a non-profit initiative supported by universities, academies, funding organisations, scientific publishers and libraries worldwide.

Altmetric Explorer

Altmetric Explorer is a service that can be used to measure the reception and dissemination of research results on the internet. Unlike traditional bibliometric approaches, it does not measure citations in scientific publications, but rather the dissemination of research on the internet, for example via social media channels such as X or in blogs as well as in non-academic newspapers, Wikipedia, policy documents and many other sources.