Atelier: Scholarly Workspace

Atelier helps you move from reading sources to a grounded plan for writing. Capture notes linked to their sources, compare ideas across readings, and develop synthesis, concepts and reasoned connections for a literature review, thesis, dissertation or research paper.

READ AND TAKE SOURCE-LINKED NOTES
Bring together source records, PDFs, Word (.docx) documents and text files. Record claims, evidence, questions and your own interpretation with the source context close at hand. Follow a note's Research Trail into the synthesis, concepts and writing plans that use it.

IMPORT YOUR REFERENCES
Import citation records from BibTeX, RIS, CSL JSON, EndNote XML and other supported files, or paste citations and DOI lists. Review duplicates before importing. Citation imports bring metadata; attach source documents separately. Import a Zotero export file on iPad; direct connection to a desktop Zotero library is not available here.

CONNECT IDEAS ACROSS SOURCES
Compare readings in a Literature Matrix and export it as CSV. Write synthesis notes across sources, define concepts, explain relationships and keep unresolved questions visible. Follow an idea path from a source note through synthesis and a concept to a writing plan in Research Journey. Record your reflections in Project Review, with optional AI critique.

PREPARE FOR WRITING
Choose material for a chapter, paper, meeting or presentation. Build a Research Writing Plan with an argument scaffold and review its evidence before drafting in your preferred writing environment.

EXPORT AND KEEP YOUR WORK PORTABLE
Export a Research Dossier to Word or PDF for review or supervision. Export citation records as CSL JSON, or a bibliography companion for Pandoc and BibLaTeX. Save a workspace archive for a restorable backup or transfer.

Export an attached source as a PDF with notes, save its notes as Markdown, or save a copy of the original file. PDF sources retain their pages; Word and text sources are typeset as new PDFs. Review export notices for notes that could not be placed.

EXCHANGE MARKDOWN NOTES
Export individual synthesis notes or a ZIP of selected synthesis and source notes for Obsidian or another Markdown editor. Bundles include evidence files, relative links, references and available local note attachments. Import Markdown files or ZIPs into Synthesis, review changes and choose what to save. Source documents stay in Atelier; file exchange does not synchronize changes automatically.

OPTIONAL AI, UNDER YOUR CONTROL
Core research work does not require AI. Optional assistance can draft a source note for your review, check synthesis and grounding, or compare external AI output with your notes. You choose the context and what to keep. Built-in AI needs an internet connection and no API key. Compatible custom providers are available; provider charges may apply.

LOCAL-FIRST WORK ACROSS DEVICES
Core research work is stored on your device and does not require an Atelier account. To continue on another device, open the same .atelier workspace from iCloud Drive, OneDrive or another synced folder. Your storage provider moves the file; Atelier checks external updates and helps resolve conflicting versions. Keep regular workspace backups.

Atelier is free to download. Start with a sample project or follow the practical tutorials at atelierworkspace.com.