I'm not using a reference manager. I'm a little ashamed to say that I've never used one and don't even really know what one is (but I can guess). I suppose I really need to re-examine my membership to the scholarly geek club :)
Any suggestions on a manager? This subject is assignment heavy.
I've only really ever used Harvard either. The problem is that the bulk of my assessment in this degree has been practical which means I've fallen out of the habit of referencing themes and statements of fact etc I'm too used to either hyperlinking to source material or not having to reference at all.
Well, from memory you are using a PC, and you are probably writing in Word...so there's the first two strikes. The only reasonable choice you have then is Endnote -- and that's your third strike.
The main problems with this setup are: 1) Word sucks -- for so many reasons (and not being a MS hater here); 2) Endnote sucks (mostly because it is a bit bloated and buggy these days); and 3) the combo of Word and Endnote sucks -- a bit, although it mostly works.
The best alternative: 1) a Mac; 2) Mellel; 3) Bookends. Seriously, not wanting to get into any Mac/PC war here...the honestly, best ever reason to get a Mac is for academic writing, and the honestly, best ever reason for that is Mellel and Bookends. Beyond those two apps, you then have the choice of Ulysses or Scrivener, Papers, Skim, Tinderbox, DevonThink, OmniOutliner, MacJournal, Notebook, Textmate, etc, etc...so many things that have no serious equal on the PC. But just Mellel and Bookends will take you to a different place that make you wonder how you could ever have worked any other way.
But, for the PC, Word and Endnote are about it. Your uni may have a site licence for Endnote which means no $ for you (mine does -- but even then, I thought it was worthing paying for Bookends!).
Do you use the Zotero plugin for Firefox? May be worth it if you are doing lots of web stuff.
For 2000 word assignments where the level of referencing inline is (Author year) and a reference list at the end, I think I'll survive with Word and my wits :)
I've got all my main notes, screen clips etc inside of OneNote 2007. OneNote is a very interesting program. I'm starting to enjoy using it and would probably get even more use out of it with a Wacom style tablet and stylus.
I love OneNote. I used it so much when I was using a Tablet PC as my primary machine. I'd organize my work notes and documents all together, based on project/task. I really like taking handwritten notes on my TPC, using it like a digital notebook (which it is!). After a while, though, I really started moving away from using a Windows laptop, so I don't use OneNote anymore. I really wish there were a version for Mac, especially since I'm currently using a Wacom tablet as a mouse replacement for my iMac. There are lots of notebook organizer apps out there, but none with the inking features of OneNote. OneNote is the only MS product I love and enthuusiastically recommend.
BTW, if you're doing a lot of web clipping, you could also look into using the Evernote beta. It has a desktop app that you can sync with a web account, so even if you're on another computer, you can have access to your notes.
preview.evernote.com
It's a private beta right now, but I have some invites to give out, if you're interested.
@jezlyn: just started trying to get back into onenote. there are a few others that are very similar, seem to remember hearing Adam Curry talking about a Mac app that he thought was actually better.
There might be notebook apps out there that are better as far as organization, but it's the inking component that I like the best. Using it as a digital version of a notebook where I handwrite my notes and can use different pen colors and highlighting and draw diagrams with my notes is what I cared about most. I never converted my handwriting to regular text. I just wanted a paperless notebook that I could easily add reference docs to as different sections in my notebook. I could also annotate any documents in OneNote, another really useful feature.
@jezlyn This has turned into a very timely discussion, as I'm preparing a presentation on note-taking etc, and while I have lots of great stuff for the mac, I don't have much for the windows peeps...if you have a spare Evernote invite left, I'd love to try it (gmail addy: murphs).
I used to use OneNote (2003), and agree it is a great app. I'm glad they've released a 2007 version, but like you, wish they would make a mac version. Somehow I think the lame notebook layout for Word was meant to satisfy mac users, but it's more of an insult than a solution.
@barneyc there are lots and lots of great notetaking apps for the Mac. If you can find the specific one Curry was talking about, I would appreciate you passing it on, in case it is one I am not aware of (or it makes me take a second look at one I've glossed over).
@smperris I agree for a 2000 worder that Word will pretty much do it. But even for a short assignment, you'll soon discover the usefulness of something like EndNote. The most important thing it gives is consistency.
Still, once you go [Mac/Mellel/Bookends] "you'll never go back"!
I never used OneNote 2003, but I hear that 2007 (which I do use) is a vastly superior beast. Don't Parallels or VMWare have an option that you can run a Windows program in its own window without loading the entire Windows OS? Perhaps I misheard.
@smurph Turns out all postgrad students have access to a free download of Endnote X1. I'll give it a go for my next assignment and see what it's like. My next computer (whenver that will be) is going to be a Mac. I want that shiny yet Unixy OS X goodness. I hear about so many awesome little shareware-type and low-cost apps that don't seem to have a Windows equivalent (eg Scrivener). I'm just itching to give it a proper go.
One could use ON with VMware like that, I suppose, but it's not as seamless as a good Mac app, and with note-taking, you want seamless. I really only use VM/win for the things where there is no choice. For notetaking, there is too much choice on the Mac side to be bothered with OneNote in Coherence/Unity.
And the reason for getting a Mac is not just the underlying Unixy goodness. Most peeps wouldn't even know. And it's not even the "apps", shareware, cheap, FOSS, bundled, whatever. It's about how much you get done and how easy it is to do. For many things (such as writing/research/notetaking), the Mac package wins at the moment.
I hear all of that. I was going to get a MacBook at the start of last year but when it came to the crunch, I needed a laptop quickly and I didn't have the scratch for even a low end MacBook + AppleCare. I tried and couldn't even get close. That's why I bought a low-mid range Vista Dell laptop and kept saving my pennies for another day.
13 comments so far
I've really only ever used Harvard...what reference manager do you use?
1 year, 7 months ago by smurph
I'm not using a reference manager. I'm a little ashamed to say that I've never used one and don't even really know what one is (but I can guess). I suppose I really need to re-examine my membership to the scholarly geek club :)
Any suggestions on a manager? This subject is assignment heavy.
I've only really ever used Harvard either. The problem is that the bulk of my assessment in this degree has been practical which means I've fallen out of the habit of referencing themes and statements of fact etc I'm too used to either hyperlinking to source material or not having to reference at all.
1 year, 7 months ago by smperris
Well, from memory you are using a PC, and you are probably writing in Word...so there's the first two strikes. The only reasonable choice you have then is Endnote -- and that's your third strike.
The main problems with this setup are: 1) Word sucks -- for so many reasons (and not being a MS hater here); 2) Endnote sucks (mostly because it is a bit bloated and buggy these days); and 3) the combo of Word and Endnote sucks -- a bit, although it mostly works.
The best alternative: 1) a Mac; 2) Mellel; 3) Bookends. Seriously, not wanting to get into any Mac/PC war here...the honestly, best ever reason to get a Mac is for academic writing, and the honestly, best ever reason for that is Mellel and Bookends. Beyond those two apps, you then have the choice of Ulysses or Scrivener, Papers, Skim, Tinderbox, DevonThink, OmniOutliner, MacJournal, Notebook, Textmate, etc, etc...so many things that have no serious equal on the PC. But just Mellel and Bookends will take you to a different place that make you wonder how you could ever have worked any other way.
But, for the PC, Word and Endnote are about it. Your uni may have a site licence for Endnote which means no $ for you (mine does -- but even then, I thought it was worthing paying for Bookends!).
Do you use the Zotero plugin for Firefox? May be worth it if you are doing lots of web stuff.
1 year, 7 months ago by smurph
For 2000 word assignments where the level of referencing inline is (Author year) and a reference list at the end, I think I'll survive with Word and my wits :)
I've got all my main notes, screen clips etc inside of OneNote 2007. OneNote is a very interesting program. I'm starting to enjoy using it and would probably get even more use out of it with a Wacom style tablet and stylus.
1 year, 7 months ago by smperris
I love OneNote. I used it so much when I was using a Tablet PC as my primary machine. I'd organize my work notes and documents all together, based on project/task. I really like taking handwritten notes on my TPC, using it like a digital notebook (which it is!). After a while, though, I really started moving away from using a Windows laptop, so I don't use OneNote anymore. I really wish there were a version for Mac, especially since I'm currently using a Wacom tablet as a mouse replacement for my iMac. There are lots of notebook organizer apps out there, but none with the inking features of OneNote. OneNote is the only MS product I love and enthuusiastically recommend.
1 year, 7 months ago by jezlyn
BTW, if you're doing a lot of web clipping, you could also look into using the Evernote beta. It has a desktop app that you can sync with a web account, so even if you're on another computer, you can have access to your notes.
preview.evernote.com
It's a private beta right now, but I have some invites to give out, if you're interested.
1 year, 7 months ago by jezlyn
@jezlyn: just started trying to get back into onenote. there are a few others that are very similar, seem to remember hearing Adam Curry talking about a Mac app that he thought was actually better.
1 year, 7 months ago by barneyc
There might be notebook apps out there that are better as far as organization, but it's the inking component that I like the best. Using it as a digital version of a notebook where I handwrite my notes and can use different pen colors and highlighting and draw diagrams with my notes is what I cared about most. I never converted my handwriting to regular text. I just wanted a paperless notebook that I could easily add reference docs to as different sections in my notebook. I could also annotate any documents in OneNote, another really useful feature.
1 year, 7 months ago by jezlyn
@jezlyn This has turned into a very timely discussion, as I'm preparing a presentation on note-taking etc, and while I have lots of great stuff for the mac, I don't have much for the windows peeps...if you have a spare Evernote invite left, I'd love to try it (gmail addy: murphs).
I used to use OneNote (2003), and agree it is a great app. I'm glad they've released a 2007 version, but like you, wish they would make a mac version. Somehow I think the lame notebook layout for Word was meant to satisfy mac users, but it's more of an insult than a solution.
@barneyc there are lots and lots of great notetaking apps for the Mac. If you can find the specific one Curry was talking about, I would appreciate you passing it on, in case it is one I am not aware of (or it makes me take a second look at one I've glossed over).
@smperris I agree for a 2000 worder that Word will pretty much do it. But even for a short assignment, you'll soon discover the usefulness of something like EndNote. The most important thing it gives is consistency.
Still, once you go [Mac/Mellel/Bookends] "you'll never go back"!
1 year, 7 months ago by smurph
I never used OneNote 2003, but I hear that 2007 (which I do use) is a vastly superior beast. Don't Parallels or VMWare have an option that you can run a Windows program in its own window without loading the entire Windows OS? Perhaps I misheard.
@smurph Turns out all postgrad students have access to a free download of Endnote X1. I'll give it a go for my next assignment and see what it's like. My next computer (whenver that will be) is going to be a Mac. I want that shiny yet Unixy OS X goodness. I hear about so many awesome little shareware-type and low-cost apps that don't seem to have a Windows equivalent (eg Scrivener). I'm just itching to give it a proper go.
1 year, 7 months ago by smperris
One could use ON with VMware like that, I suppose, but it's not as seamless as a good Mac app, and with note-taking, you want seamless. I really only use VM/win for the things where there is no choice. For notetaking, there is too much choice on the Mac side to be bothered with OneNote in Coherence/Unity.
1 year, 7 months ago by smurph
And the reason for getting a Mac is not just the underlying Unixy goodness. Most peeps wouldn't even know. And it's not even the "apps", shareware, cheap, FOSS, bundled, whatever. It's about how much you get done and how easy it is to do. For many things (such as writing/research/notetaking), the Mac package wins at the moment.
1 year, 7 months ago by smurph
I hear all of that. I was going to get a MacBook at the start of last year but when it came to the crunch, I needed a laptop quickly and I didn't have the scratch for even a low end MacBook + AppleCare. I tried and couldn't even get close. That's why I bought a low-mid range Vista Dell laptop and kept saving my pennies for another day.
All in good time :)
1 year, 7 months ago by smperris