List of collaborative tools and productivity for research
Table of Contents
1 The "right" tools
- Provided by public organisms with acceptable privacy/ethical settings.
- Using open-source software for long-term support and for low/null price.
2 France (RENATER, CNRS/ODS)
- RENATER and CNRS tools can be used by the public scientific community in France through the "fédération d’identités" (portal to connect using various accounts, University, UMR, organization, etc…).
- Data stored physically in France
– For all the RENATER tools, only one person needs to have an account, other people with no accounts can be invited.
2.1 RENATER
2.1.1 Rendez-Vous
- https://rendez-vous.renater.fr/
- Audio/video webconference only (no phone line provided)
- Using open-source Jitsi code
- English version using http://jitsi.org (no account required even for host)
- Université de Strasbourg is a partner of jitsi.org
- Advantages
- Simplicity / no account required apart from host
- No plugin required, simply need to share devices (mic+ cam) - usually in address bar
- All major OS supported, Chrome and Firefox (despite warning for the latter)
- Practical details
- Create room by simply enter name
- Anybody can join with just the URL (room can be made private)
- Chat / synchronized text edit / screen sharing
- Alternatives
- Framatalk, Jitsi
- Hangouts, Vsee, etc…
2.1.2 RENAvisio
- https://renavisio.renater.fr
- Audio/video conference only - web + phone
- Features
- Planned conference (up to 2 months in advance) : start, duration, access code, audio or audio/video, estimated number of connections, get calendar event.
- Instant conference : 3h max and 3 people max
- Conferences can be modified once created
- Can connect from computer using ConferenceMe - cme:// link (Codian platform on Windows or Scopia platform on Mac OS and Windows)
- Advantage
- Free
- Inconvenients
- No international phone numbers
- Linux not supported for access from computer
- Alternatives
- BlueJeans, Powwownow, …
2.1.3 Filesender
- https://filesender.renater.fr
- Sending large files
- Using open-source filesender code http://www.filesender.org (account required)
- Features
- Deal with transfers ( « dépôts ») of files
- Get link or send invitation email from webpage
- Specify expiration date (up to 3 weeks)
- Get report (notification for each download, summary of all downloads at expiration date)
- Current limits
- Size limit : 20Gb for all active files
- Maximum individual file size : 20Gb if HTLM5, 2Gb otherwise
- 50 max recipients
- Advantage
- Free, simple to use
- Inconvenients
- Cannot modify (e.g., add/delete files) once transfer is created
2.1.4 Evento
- http://evento.renater.fr
- Like Doodle…
- Features
- Only host needs to have an account
- Use dates or other fields
- Possibility to restrict responses to single choice
- Get updates when answer updated
- Multiple langages supported
- Advantages
- Keep track of all Foodles created / responded to
- Foodle can be locked after x checked entries in column y (for limited meetings etc…)
- Inconvenients
- Cannot modify answer if guest. Needs to be logged in to enter answer in order to modify it.
- But: anybody can respond
- Alternatives
- Framadate
- Doodle…
2.1.5 Universalistes
- https://groupes.renater.fr/sympa
- Mailing lists - collaborative space
- Features
- Using open-source solution SYMPA Système de Multi-Postage Automatique (http://www.sympa.org)
- Various setups possible, with combinations of who can post, who can access the shared webspace, who can subscribe etc…
- Announcement lists : no posting allowed, only announcement by the creator(s) → newsletter, bulletin
- Discussion lists : moderated or non-moderated messages
- Can be confidential (only seen by subscribers)
- Roles : listmasters, owners (usually creator), moderators, susbscribers
- Shared document webspace
- Wiki pages
- Need to request creation. Needs to be broader than group or even lab use
- Advantages
- Wiki / file database (like groups.io or confluence)
- English possible language (useful for international moderators)
- Alternatives
- Framalistes…
2.1.6 Partage
- https://partage.renater.fr
- Large suite of tools (file sharing, calendar sharing, task management, instant messaging, webmail, address books, etc…)
- Based on Zimbra Collaboration Suite
2.2 CNRS
2.2.1 CCSD
- Sciencesconf
- Conference / workshop organization
- Features
- Submissions of various kinds (e.g., oral, poster), with group of reviewers and ranking system
- Organization through topics/themes for submissions / reviewers / etc…
- Agenda with rooms
- Registration fee can be done from website or with an external website
- Website can be fully customized
- Pre-defined mailing-lists to contact participants (e.g., all registered people, people with contributed talks, xpeople whose registration is not complete etc…)
- Mail alias (myconference@sciencesconf.org, redirecting to one or several email adresses)
- Proceedings (not tested - anyone ?)
- Statistics (piwik)
- Inconvenients
- No currency other than euros
- Difficult to set different deadlines for oral/poster submission
- Difficult to set different fees for categories (e.g., student) and date (works only for dates or for categories)
- No pre-registration vs. registration → registration is validated only once
- Help/guides in french only
- Alternatives
- cvent
- Open archive
2.2.2 ODS
2.2.3 Tixeo
- https://tixeo.cnrs.fr/meet/login.html
- Installation/use guide: http://irfu.cea.fr/Pisp/vianney.lebouteiller/tixeo.html
- Features
- 1-on-1 video calls or group calls
- Can stay on like Skype in order to receive calls much like if using a phone
- Possibility to organize people into different discussion groups in the same session
- Advantages
- Very secure
- Splitting people into different group (Fusion mode) is an interesting added value
- Inconvenients
- Can be difficult to install, especially for Macs (see http://irfu.cea.fr/Pisp/vianney.lebouteiller/tixeo.html)
- Alternatives
- Rendez-Vous
- Zoom
3 Framasoft suite
- Alternative to Slack for chatting/sharing with team: https://framateam.org
- Videoconferencing: https://framatalk.org
- Collaborative text editing: https://framapad.org/
- Meetings: https://framaestro.org/
- Polls: https://framaforms.org/
- Votes/group decisions: https://framavox.org/
- Alternative to Doodle: https://framadate.org/
- Agendas: https://framagenda.org/
- Mailing-list: https://framalistes.org/
- Storage: https://framadrive.org/
- Git/code sharing: https://framagit.org/
- File sender: https://framadrop.org/
4 Center for Open Science
4.1 Conference submissions
- https://osf.io/meetings/
- Long-term storage of presentations
4.2 Project management
- https://osf.io/dashboard
- Wiki
- File sharing
- Add-ons: owncloud, github, Zotero etc…