======= Date Modified 14 38 2008 23:38:01 =======
I'm just starting now to get down to some serious reading and thinking that I should get in place some form of record system and also detailed notes. I remember so clearly from essays that I'd do the - I'm sure someone said something about that and couldn't remember which book, which page, exactly what etc - and that was after a few days - after 3 years I don't stand a chance!

Is there any advice you could offer on the best way of doing this and how best to arrange notes for use further into the research so I don't lose anything vital? I've always been pretty haphazard, normally scribbling notes on photocopied chapters or in the back of my A4 pad and I don't reckon that that will hold up this time (or will it?)

Please bear in mind that I'm a total computer dunce - I'm a historian and find computer speak 'challenging' - my computer skills are pretty much the same as my car mechanic skills lol - so if the computer is the way to go then idiot proof would be great 8-)

Thanks

Hello stressed, first, follow up the archives on endnote out here, people have good advice, also the purple sticky that I started called tips list.

Input everything u read (no matter how stupid or irrelevant u think it is) into zotero or endnote. Put it in and then forget it. Remember to attach PDF files to it though.

Ok, now a personal tactic. This is slightly archival (read ancient or medieval) but it works great with me. Lets say I have ONE piece (themed or just drafty kind) of X number of words, every X weeks or so. What I do is this: I start off by identifying a rough overarching theme for this piece, literally tell myself ok this is what I am going to write about now. (i know this is vague and variable but trust me, if u'r coming from a similar or related area of interest in ur masters, and working with same sup, as both u and me r, its kind of easy to identify some rough themes). Next step: I spend two ful days on a good reading list. Use up all ur Copac, Sconul resources, use other peoples biblios and compile a list. Next. Get the matter in place. I save all the journal readings in a folder thats specifically meant for my written pieces and their corresponding 'resources/rough work'. As for books, make notes on the comp with all details like page numbers etc and store in same folder. So what happens is that for every piece I have a litle resource bank of some 60 pieces. Now, the only RULE i enforce is this: I try to ensure, every piece for the first yr has only about 25% to 30% overlap on readings with the last pieces. This is my personal tactic of ensuring that the lit review is actually going somewhere.

But, but but. This works best if you are targetting a high pressure writing schedule, like one themed piece of 3 to 5 k every 3 weeks, or each month. More often than that would mean u write 45000 words of polished work in the first year LOL :). So in any case if u r targetting written work every 3 weeks (i know i know it sounds dreadfully hi pressure), only then this works BEST. It IS archival and does work independent of my Endnote database, but trust me, I am comfy with it. I have worked in plenty of archives, sifting thru dusty papers etc.

On another note, I am personally trying to do this PhD as a no paper system. Its working well till now. Only remember to back up every day. I use google docs to store every single thing I write and all my biblipgraphies and reading lists and copy up my PhD Year 1 folder on my schools network drives every other day.

Any good?

And here's one of the threads...i was reading my own posts and laughing now...just in a couple of weeks i seem to have matured a lot LOL !

http://www.postgraduateforum.com/threadViewer.aspx?TID=10455

I'm quite old school - I have articles filed in two big cabinets. If I have made notes - I'll staple them to the front of the article. This is all sectioned into different chapters/broad categories. This can all be cross-referenced to my bibliography. I also have a similar electronic system for thousands of articles I have not printed out. They are also categorised by chapter/subject-matter.

When you write-up, your notes will invariably be unhelpful and you'll refer the original source, so try not taking too many notes or ideally none. Instead, write broad reports/or draft chapters directly from your reading. Something like MS OneNote is a good place to create an electronic filing system of your ideas/references.

I just add notes to my endnote entries - I always add the abstract to endnote, so I can search for certain references easily (i.e. if the search word isn't in the title, it will prob be in the abstract). I then class my endnote entries into topics, so I label all the ones to do with XX and all the ones to do with YY.

I tend to do the same sort of thing as Missspacey, mainly because it allows me easy access to other tpes of material that didn't seem to fit very well into software like Endnote (which I didn't like anyway). I have a lot of handwritten notes, photographs and photocopies of non-textual material from trips to archives, plus cuttings from current newspapers that look vaguely useful when I see them, and exhibition and trade catalogues. Folders and filing cabinets seem best for all that. I think I like scribbling on paper anyway, maybe it helps with the thought processes or something.

Most of my reading is available online, when I use stuff I have had to find in an actual book SHOCK HORROR! - I tend to scan it into a Pdf file, cos I lose everything in my desk at some point, so pdf versions are really handy!

Thanks everyone :-) I'll have a look for endnote and other things, I may just end up with the trusty filing trays - at least I can't lose them...... but I would also like to sort out something for the computer if I don't end up blowing my poor little centuries old lap top up!

Stressed,

I would recommend a note taking software called NoteScribe. With NoteScribe, you can electronically store all of your notes with sources and any attachments (images, PDFs, audio, video) that you might want to add to a note to further supplement your studying. There are quite a few great features including a source and bibliography generator, a calendar for organizing your schedule and deadlines, and text editing and outlining formats. Check it out at www.NoteScribe.net.

MS Onenote (not to be confused with endnote) is also a good tool for note taking, and making links to other material.