14 Jul 2026
Open-Source Dissertation Workflow
A compact list of open-source tools for calculation, plotting, reference management, and manuscript writing in an M.Sc Physics dissertation.
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For a physics dissertation, keep the workflow simple: calculate, plot, write, cite, and back up. The tools below are free and open-source, and they work well for student projects.
Recommended tools
| Work | Tool | Best use | Windows | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calculation | Miniforge + Python | JupyterLab, NumPy, SciPy, SymPy, Matplotlib | Download | Download |
| Calculation | GNU Octave | MATLAB-like numerical work | Download | Download |
| Symbolic calculation | Maxima | Algebra, calculus, ODEs, matrices, tensors, exact results | Download | Download |
| Plotting | Veusz | Clean publication-style graphs | Download | Download |
| Plotting | Matplotlib | Plots directly from Python scripts | Use Miniforge | Use Miniforge |
| Manuscript | TeX Live | LaTeX dissertation and PDF output | Download | Download |
| References | JabRef | BibTeX/BibLaTeX reference library | Download | Download |
| Conversion | Pandoc | Convert Markdown, LaTeX, Word, HTML, PDF workflows | Download | Download |
| Drafting | LibreOffice | Initial text draft, tables, DOCX sharing | Download | Download |
| Backup | Git | Version control for manuscript and code | Download | Download |
Minimum setup
Install these first:
- Miniforge
- TeX Live
- JabRef
- Maxima
- Veusz
- Git
After installing Miniforge, create one clean environment:
mamba create -n thesis python jupyterlab numpy scipy sympy matplotlib pandas
mamba activate thesis
jupyter lab
Simple folder structure
dissertation/
data/
scripts/
figures/
manuscript/
references/
Working order
| Step | What to do | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Save readings in JabRef | references.bib |
| 2 | Do calculation in Python or Octave | notebook or script |
| 3 | Export plots from Matplotlib or Veusz | PDF/SVG/PNG figure |
| 4 | Write chapters in LaTeX | chapter .tex files |
| 5 | Compile with TeX Live | final dissertation PDF |
| 6 | Save changes with Git | safe project history |
Practical choice
For most M.Sc Physics dissertations, this is enough:
- Python with JupyterLab for calculation;
- Maxima for symbolic algebra and calculus;
- Veusz or Matplotlib for plots;
- LaTeX with TeX Live for the final manuscript;
- JabRef for references;
- Git for backup and version history.
Download links checked on 14 July 2026.
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