Tropy
You order photos of archive documents with descriptions, tags and transcriptions in a research project.
Developer Corporation for Digital Scholarship
Version 1.17.3 · Open source · Windows · macOS · Linux
Looking for an alternative to Tropy?Compare Zotero.Compare alternativesTropy groups research photos into items that you describe yourself. You can capture metadata using templates, tags and lists and link text or details to photos. This allows you to find an archive piece on content instead of just by filename.
Your data will be stored in a local project with SQLite. Exports can be made to JSON-LD, CSV and Omeka S. The app is focused on research material; for extensive retouching or full backup you need other tools.
Get more from Tropy
Good descriptions make a collection of archive photos usable later. Please record with which archive piece a recording belongs, in which order pages are listed and what references you need for your research. A photo without context is more difficult to recognize later.
Save both the project and its image files. When moving, check that the links are maintained. Tropy helps to organize and describe; it does not replace separate backup and does not automatically publish your collection as a website.
Version and updates
Version 1.17.3 (Desktop Edition). You get a Finnish translation and improvements when switching between a light and dark theme. The column selection in the item table has been restored. Also, a problem is solved with deleting files from the asset folder after items have been permanently deleted.
Compare Tropy with alternatives
In a research collection, the type of material makes a lot of difference. For publications you need bibliographic fields and citations; for archive photos descriptions, labels and transcriptions are more important. These apps overlap in collecting and organizing, but do not fully take over each other's professional functions.
| Software | What can it do? | Platform and licence |
|---|---|---|
| TropyYou are viewing this app | You order photos of archive documents with metadata, tags and transcriptions. You choose this mainly for research with photographed sources, not automatic literature lists. | Windows, macOS, LinuxOpen source |
| ZoteroView this alternative | You collect publications, web pages, pdfs and make literature references. The focus is on bibliographic data and links with word processors. | Windows, macOS, LinuxAGPL-3.0-only |
Choose an alternative to explore its features, system requirements and download options.
Who is it for?
Getting started
Privacy
Good to know
Please note
Advantages
- Metadata and photos together Tags, lists and annotations Open Export Formats
Things to consider
- Installation of metadata requires attention No replacement for backup
Download Tropy
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Provider’s website · tropy.org
Version history
1.17.3
Theme changes and the choice of columns work better.
Report a new version
More from Corporation for Digital Scholarship
Omeka S 4.2.1
You publish digital collections with structured descriptions and multiple websites from one installation.
Zotero 10.0.4 (macOS)
With Zotero, you collect publications, web pages and associated data in a library.
View all software from Corporation for Digital Scholarship →
Our verdict
Tropy mainly gives an overview when you collect a lot of photos of documents. A fixed description will help you to find a quote, inventory number or series of images later without re-opening each photo.
In a joint investigation, first decide which fields you use. Test an export before entering a large collection, so you know how to continue using the data. Save both the project and the associated photos in second place. Only finding the metadata is worth little if the original images are missing.
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