DISCOVERY & Capture

I use Chrome to search for articles and have mapped abbreviations to scholarly search engines (e.g. Google Scholar, ACM, my university’s library, etc.) so that I can easily search them. Once I find an article I want to read or track, I add it to my reference management software, Paperpile. I have set Paperpile to backup to Google Drive, which syncs with my computer. Hazel watches this folder and copies the PDF to my DEVONthink Inbox anytime something new appears. Once an item is added to DEVONthink, it is run through an OCR engine and is automatically removed from that folder. This allows me to search any PDF I have in Paperpile, and also to use DEVONthink’s algorithms to find related articles (and zettels, more below).

Reading

I generally read articles on my iPad Pro, importing PDFs into GoodNotes so that I can highlight and write annotations on them as if I were writing on paper. If for some reason I want to highlight and read on my laptop, I use MetaPDF to do so (via Paperpile). I use eBooks when I have no other choice, but I prefer GoodNotes. As I read, I keep my Bullet Journal close by and make notes using a • to indicate I should spend time documenting, synthesizing, or researching the concept when I’m done.

Important also is how I read. While I don’t always manage it, I try to slow down and read to read (as opposed to read to have read). I work to cultivate a nourishing and present-oriented reading environment, and do my best to pay attention to the process of reading itself.

SYNTHESIS

I use the Zettelkasten method of note-taking, by which I mean that I create notes that contain a single idea or point that is significant to me. These notes are usually linked to other notes, authors, and citations, allowing me to understand that single idea in the context of the larger literature that I’m exploring. I use the knowledge management software Tinderbox to write these notes and map their associations. I’ve created a series of videos that explain exactly how I do this. I also sync my Tinderbox zettels with DEVONthink using these scripts so that I can search my own notes alongside my articles to find connections I might otherwise miss.

Writing

I've not yet settled on a rock-solid writing environment. My goals are that it be non-linear, markdown-compatible, and distraction-free. On top of that, it needs to work with my reference management software. So far, no solution meets all of these requirements, but I’m still hopeful.

Since I’m currently using Paperpile, I am limited to using Google Docs as my writing environment. This has worked fine for my needs so far (final papers in courses, grant proposals, lecture planning, research protocols, etc.), but I worry that it will fall short in more complex documents such as my dissertation (and possibly even the general exam). I’ll be experimenting with using Scrivener in the new year and will update this page once I have more opinions about that.

Right now, I’m using the Distraction Free Mode extension in Chrome for a better Google Docs writing environment. Previously, I’ve enjoyed OmmWriter, the Freewrite typewriter, Workflowy, Ulysses, nvALT, Typora, and iA Writer in varying degrees, but none have withstood the test of use over time. I sometimes employ the Hemingway Editor to catch overly complex sentences, passive voice, and adverbs.

Referencing

I use Paperpile for my reference management and I mostly love it. It comes with some serious limitations: you (currently) cannot use it offline, or on a mobile device (including tablets), and it only works with Google Docs. If those aren't dealbreakers for you, it's seriously good. I love how easy it is to add to a citation, organize it through tags and folders, search for it while writing, format it in any number of ways, and attach files and notes for future reference. It's a joy to use every time I use it. And the support staff's been responsive to my questions.

ACADEMIC WORKFLOW

Mentioned:

DISCOVERY & Capture

Reading

SYNTHESIS

Writing

Referencing