tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post38815830923138593..comments2024-03-26T11:33:59.219-06:00Comments on Religion in American History: Research Tools and the DissertationPaul Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13881964303772343114noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-22234430170742522482016-02-06T09:27:02.224-07:002016-02-06T09:27:02.224-07:00Since you like Zotero, you'll probably be inte...Since you like Zotero, you'll probably be interested in Tropy, which is going to be developed by RRCHNM to manage photos from archives. <a href="http://chnm.gmu.edu/news/rrchnm-to-build-software-to-help-researchers-organize-digital-photographs/" rel="nofollow">Here is the announcement.</a>Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06130738672087808415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-12707778210878923702016-02-05T09:45:13.714-07:002016-02-05T09:45:13.714-07:00I've used Scrivener with some success, althoug...I've used Scrivener with some success, although not with any of the built-in templates they provide. I start every project from the "Blank" option and just go from there. It has helped me organize both my thinking and writing, and the ability to move paragraphs, chapters, sections, or just chunks of text in general around is incredibly useful ("This section on X really makes more sense in this other conversation later in the chapter"; "I need to group these sources this way rather than how I had thought before"). Its export capability is very, very finicky, though, and I do a lot of post-processing in Word before sending it on to committee members. <br /><br />I'd be happy to field questions or start a dialogue on how it's been useful. Always looking for more tools, though, so thank you, Michael!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00651684527591114372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-50249027660074363512016-02-05T09:30:18.077-07:002016-02-05T09:30:18.077-07:00Thanks for the feedback! Hunter, do you recommend ...Thanks for the feedback! Hunter, do you recommend any particular guide for using Scrivener? I used the built-in tutorial, but I wonder if there are better guides. I would like to try to use it in my next project. And when you figure out that potion, I'll be contributing to the Kickstarter.<br /><br />Seth, I totally agree about the time required for "post-processing." I underestimated the value of notes I took while in front of the documents ("remember to connect Document X to Document Z"). I lost track of the number of times I later asked myself "Why did I scan this, again...?" I'll definitely be tweaking that approach for the next project.Michael Grazianohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05841032616931519130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-35084119008793923332016-02-04T18:02:44.241-07:002016-02-04T18:02:44.241-07:00This is good stuff, Mike. I, too, use an iPhone sc...This is good stuff, Mike. I, too, use an iPhone scanning app (CamScanner Pro, which is fine but not amazing) + Dropbox. I use Zotero in the archives, to take notes as I go, and to link PDFs to Zotero records while I'm still sitting in front of the actual document. (I echo everything you say about Zotero -- amazing. I wish it had been around when I was in grad school.) This workflow slows me down -- I don't scan as much as I used to -- but I think that's been good on the whole. As you note, reading scanned documents takes a long time, and I've found it better to have decent notes on fewer documents, especially when teaching full-time (as I return from research trips and have to dive back into classes & committees, which doesn't leave much time for "post-processing"). I still scan plenty, but I appreciate not having a soul-crushing mountain of documents on my laptop after each archive trip. <br /><br />Just began playing around with Scrivener this week. I hope I can make it work. Seth Dowlandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00781594228877907212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-2899469150215883642016-02-04T16:44:22.192-07:002016-02-04T16:44:22.192-07:00Great post Mike. I completely agree with your stra...Great post Mike. I completely agree with your strategy for research. With limited time and travel funds, you are right that archive trips are more about acquisition than actual research. I prefer the camera, tripod, and document stand. The tool that I found incredibly helpful was a wireless remote for the camera. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-ML-L3-Wireless-Remote-Control/dp/B00007EDZG/ref=sr_1_1?srs=2530007011&ie=UTF8&qid=1454627155&sr=8-1&keywords=remote" rel="nofollow"> You can find them on Amazon for about $15 </a>. It made it so that the only time limiting factor is how fast you can get documents on the stand. As for the actual writing of the dissertation, a second computer screen changed my life. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=computer+screen&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Acomputer+screen" rel="nofollow"> They are about $100 on Amazon</a>, but you can spend $1000 if you are that loyal to Apple. The second screen allows you to have your digital document on one screen and Scrivner on the other. (Yes, I use Scrivner and so should the rest of the world. It is frustrating at first, but worth the fight. The entire idea behind it is that a dissertation or book is not one huge document, but a combination of smaller sections of writing). Alright, off my Scrivner soapbox. Two screens makes it so that you don't have to click from one window to the other, or lose your eye sight by trying to use a split screen on a laptop. I am also working on a potion that makes you type undistracted for 8 hours straight. Once I patent it, you can find me on Shark Tank. Thanks for the post and the app suggestions.Hunter M. Hampton https://www.blogger.com/profile/18205749430780141770noreply@blogger.com