I'm planning on sitting up tonight. It's too blooming cold to sleep comfortably (well that's part of my excuse), and I'd like to get on with getting through my remaining pages of thesis rewrites. So sitting up in the cold. Doesn't sound quite so appealing when I put it like that!

My main concern about Zotero having looked at it briefly is whether you can get the reference database information out again, to reimport it into another reference manager in future, if you choose. I'd be concerned about spending a long time typing in references, to potentially be tied into that software.

As a computer scientist I'm also a bit sceptical about something new like this, whether it will still be around in several years, though being open source helps. Those are probably daft concerns. I've just seen a lot of software come and go over the years, and lots of great ideas not be taken forward.

I've used EndNote from the start of my part-time (6 year - aarrgghh!) PhD, but only for storing details of items read. I don't export from EndNote into my Word file, partly because it doesn't work so well with my version of Word, partly because as a history student with lots of unusual references plus a non-standard departmental style I've had trouble getting it to work.

So basically yes I have a wonderful EndNote database of things I've read, but all my footnotes are hand-crafted, and my bibliography (almost finished - yay!) is hand-crafted too. It didn't take that long.

Given that you are nearly at the end Sue I'd be doubtful about whether it would be worth you going for EndNote now. It didn't take me that long to build up my bibliography by hand. Then again I was using EndNote a little bit, because it could remember everything I'd read ...

Erm! Conflicting-ish advice here. But put me down as another hand-crafter, albeit flirting with EndNote on the side ;-)

Right that's me checking off now. My 200 page pile has been split into a huge pile I can ignore, and a pile of about 50 pages with things to be done. Some of them are very minor though, so it's not so bad. And at least I've now reduced the task (at least visible version of it!) somewhat. But tackling it is for another day.

Night all.

Anyone out there working tonight? I'm sitting with 200 pages of thesis printout with supervisor scribbles all over them. I've dealt with most of the feedback so far, colouring in done bits with a highlighter pen. I'm now going through all the pages seeing which ones need remaining work. So far my nasty still-to-be-dealt-with pile is very small compared to the I-would-like-to-burn-you (!) processed pile.

Going to be a long night anyway. Want to get this task out of the way now I feel up for it. So keeping going as long as can. Up to page 91 now ...

Encouraging to hear that it can work out. My university used to have a bindery run jointly with the neighbouring university. Then it was shut. Our university library has a webpage listing lots of binding companies who will offer remote services, but I'm a bit concerned about remote ordering and not being able to physically hand it over etc. But I'm sure it will be fine. I hope (assuming viva goes not too badly) to be dealing with this sometime next summer!

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Thanks for the kind words Sneaks. I had a ViewMaster when I was young too, and it looked just like the retro design one I've just bought. Same colour even too (red).

Hope you enjoy your Graze box Teek. I've had a couple of them, and they stuffed up once (took 4 days to arrive, and the pineapple inside was fermenting by the time it did) so I got another free one as compensation! I'm currently nibbling my way through it very very slowly.

Done nothing useful either, but that's more due to the neurological illness, and huge trouble thinking, and using my limbs at the moment. I was relieved enough to manage an hour or so late yesterday afternoon. I'm creeping towards my absolute deadline of March 2010, but I'll get there.

Nice to hear I'm not the only fan of Firebox. I bought a View-Master from them the other day, and a ducky bath radio. And I want to buy a Sesame Street Ernie, if he ever comes back into stock!

If speaking to a non-academic audience I always think in terms of how I would explain my research/topic to my mother. So no high-faluting language. Really simple. What's the core point.

Good luck!

I don't officially have dyslexia, but I've developed huge problems with reading, writing, concentration and memory due to brain damage from progressive neurological illness. I've been up front with my supervisors about this. It has caused problems with my thesis writing, but my supervisor understands, and helps me with approaches to structuring, grammar issues etc. I also declared my disability to the university, but the reading/writing problems have worsened dramatically over the years since then, and telling my supervisor has basically boiled down to face to face discussions, and an occasional more explanatory email.

My main trick was to start writing the thesis early, so I didn't put myself under pressure. Reading is an insurmountable problem though. Now I can barely read a short story. Heavy-going academic texts are impossible. Thank goodness I read them years ago before I got this bad. I boggle when I look at my EndNote database and see what I worked through back then.

I've nearly finished my PhD though (just doing final rewriting before submitting in a few months) so it is possible.

Good luck.

Oooh! Just noticed I have 4 stars. Wooooot!

I can't pound it out day after day - I'm long-term seriously ill, with very few good hours a week. However I have managed to write up over the last couple of years on typically 5 good hours total a week, often no more than an hour a day. So it is possible to work in small bursts. I'm part-time, but I'm only allowed twice as long as a full-timer, so rather supposed to be half-time. Fat chance!