LaTeX: Allowing you to focus on content,
not appearance.
Logo taken from: www.latex-project.org
What is it?
LaTeX is a software system used to prepare documents from smaller documents such as resumes and articles to large documents such as books.
LaTeX is not the same as Microsoft Word!
What does it do?
The big difference between LaTeX and other word processors is that it removes the formating step and allows the user to focus on the content.
In LaTeX the user does not start out by having to choose between fonts and layouts. Instead the user focuses on the content and can format the document in any way they want.

How to get started with LaTeX?
LaTeX requires a TeX system and a text editor. Users can choose to download these systems or work online.
Download
There are many text editors that can be downloaded such as TeXworks which is included in LaTeX systems: TeX Live and MiKTeX
*Check out Stack Exchange for a list of available LaTeX editors.
Online
There are also several online sites that you can use which avoids the need to download a TeX system and LaTeX editor.
Examples:
Click here for more information
LaTeX Examples
section
Instead of enlarging fonts and spacing in a word processor, LaTeX can be used to format and maintain the appearance of your documents.

This shows how laTeX code can be used to create sections and subsections.

The above example is the product of compiling the code on the left.
Images
includegraphics

LaTeX code can be used to add images to the documents without affecting the overall format.

The above example is the product of compiling the code on the left.
Images taken from https://www.learnlatex.org/en/
Graphs
addplot

LaTeX can also accept user input data to produce visual graphs and charts.

The above example is the product of compiling the code on the left.
LaTeX Templates

LaTeX files are instructions the document follows to appear a user specified way in the final product.
The LaTeX file is not something an end user would see but it can be saved and reused as a template for future work.
Overleaf has a multitude of templates that can be used to format your documents.
RDM & LaTeX
Data stewards in the RDM team are not only focused on data management but on educating the research team regarding efficient utilization of technology in order to assist in your research needs.
Benefits of LaTeX include: