Creating a Digital Ecosystem for Academic Work:
Or,
How to use Technology to help Read, Write, and Discuss.
Nick Blackbourn, University of St Andrews http://nickblackbourn.com@nickblackbourn
Overview – Technology Can Help:
• Read – getting hold of material, making sense of it, and accessing it later
• ‘Write’ – generating ideas & turning them into something of value
• Discuss – encouraging others to engage with your work
…i.e. what scholars have done for centuries
Tools not Methods
Nothing is Right,Nothing is Wrong.
http://edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/padagogy-wheel.jpg
There are many options… …use what works for you
A Case Study: Me
What follows is my own workflow
It’s not perfect, but it works for me…
…accept, reject & adapt for yourself!
Research – Collecting Data
Archives | Reading| Note taking
Gathering material:At the Archives (physical or online)
Take Pictures / Generate Clippings
Create searchable PDFs / text files
… dump everything in your DT inbox
… reference everything in Zotero
Gathering material:Reading & Note taking
Skim – PDF viewer & Note taker
Evernote – note-taking/Clippings
By hand! – Just type it up later
… dump everything in your DT inbox
… reference everything in Zotero
Recall
Databasing| Referencing | Journaling
‘Databasing’
- Devonthink: your central research hub
- Tag / Group
- Searchable text
- Relevant docs
matched.
Referencing
- Zotero (free, opensource)
- Everything (ideally!) should be ready to cite when you need it
Journaling / Writing Regularly
Use any text editor – but get it into Devonthink
Why?
• DT shows you relevant material you already have.
• Good practice to stay on top of your research.
• Easy to convert to blog post if appropriate
• Try 750words.com [and become a Phoenix!]
Writing - Creating Scholarly Output
Composition | Editing | Blogging | Tweeting
Composition
Scrivener
- Hierarchical writing: organize a structure (or not) and then just write
- Goal Setting
- Focus on generating text
Editing & Formatting
Word / Libre Office:
Zotero plug-in for citations
I prefer ‘Print View’ for later & final edits
Blogging
Wordpress / Blogger
What to blog?:
Early drafts
Ideas
Questions
Summaries
Reviews…
…all important scholarly work that you do anyway
What do you think about as a scholar? Blog about it!
–You think about it already, you aren’t replicating, just turn it into c.300 words
Micro-blogging:
Create a network
Discuss your interests
Ask questions
Get feedback
Post links / discover resources
Engage different audiences
Why be online?
- Make connections in between conferences (and with the many people who don’t go to them!)
- Be discoverable – people can find you and your research
- Think in terms of academic output – ‘ALWAYS BE CREATING’
Other formats:
Slideshare YouTube
Podcasts Google Hangouts
Conclusion
- Technology should be used to help you as a scholar-
It is NOT just ‘another time-burden’
[tweak your system if it feels this way]
Make the effort to learn how to use your system as a whole, and then get on with what academics do:
read, write, discuss
Questions?: I can be found here @nickblackbourn