tools, techniques, and tips for managing research

Libraries traditionally offer their communities research materials and information

Currently, these materials come in a wide variety of formats, and are distributed through many channels

LSU Libraries offers guidance in navigating, understanding, and organizing this new information landscape

Bibliographic management Social brainstorming & mind mapping Updates & alerts Scheduling & task lists File storage and backup

These tools, and consultation with LSU librarians, are FREE for LSU affiliated faculty, staff, and students

Allows researchers to create databases/libraries of references, with various levels of functionality with formatting and organizing the references

Examples include:◦ EndNote & EndNote Web◦ Zotero◦ RefWorks (not available through LSU, but one of

the “major” products on the market)

One of the most powerful citation managers Available FREE to LSU graduate students and

faculty members through TigerWare Functionalities include:

◦ Unlimited number of citations◦ 48 reference types◦ Direct database searching◦ Linking to PDFs, other types of

literature◦ Creating notes and tags (keywords)◦ Filters for importing citations◦ Create “new” styles◦ “Cite while you write” (CWYW)◦ Reformat entire papers in various styles

• Create a library• Search for related

literature• Create references• Cite While You Write

EndNote can be a frustrating program◦ Technical Support & Services:

http://www.endnote.com/support/◦ EndNote Online Tutorials:

http://www.endnote.com/training/◦ UNC-HSL Tutorial:

http://www.hsl.unc.edu/Services/Tutorials/ENDNOTE/intro.htm

◦ Cornell University Tutorial: http://www.mannlib.cornell.edu/workshops-instruction/tutorials/endnote-tutorial

Provided by ISI Web of Knowledge, so available FREE to ALL students, faculty, and staff at LSU

Available via the database, OR simply http://www.myendnoteweb.com

Will require login, which you can setup through ISI

Functionalities:◦ Will hold up to 10,000 citations◦ Totally web-based◦ 47 different reference types◦ Can link to PDFs◦ Direct searching of databases◦ Filters available for importing

references

Free, web-based reference management option Currently only available in Firefox Citation library lives at bottom of your browser

at all times. One-click citation capture from within

databases, WorldCat, Amazon, YouTube, etc. Create full bibliographies in various styles by

simply selecting the entries you want added. Create item tags or import subject headings

from databases.

Organize your citations using navigable folder system

Fully searchable (including abstract, if provided)

Integrates with the Internet Archive to locate broken webpages.

Retrieves database records with one click. Access your library from any computer.

University of Wisconsin-Madison offers a helpful “features comparison” chart that compares RefWorks (not available at LSU), EndNote, EndNote Web, and Zotero:

http://library.wisc.edu/citation-managers/comparison.html

Collect and Organize Notes Access Notes from

◦ Desktop◦ Online◦ Smart Phone or PDA◦ (Limited Access on

other phones with Internet)

Collaborate withSharing Functions

FREE!!(Go Pro for a Fee.)

Typed Notes Web Clippings Photos & Images

Screen Clipping Voice Notes Handwritten Notes Documents

Tags Notebooks Full-Text Searching

(Even handwriting and images!) Saved Searches

Class Organization & Collaboration Research Maintenance & Annotation Capture Ideas & Inspirations

Free Visualization Tool Map Ideas, Concepts, Resources, Outlines,

etc. Desktop Application, Online Sharing

Structures Branching Relationships Custom Relationships

Colors & Shapes Summaries & Groups Labels & Markers

Notes File Attachments

Images Hyperlinks

Outlining Papers & Presentations Organizational Schemes for Brainstorming &

Inspiration Collaborate Online or with Alternative Export

Formats

Just as we saw with ISI, most LSU Libraries databases offer:

◦ Personal accounts◦ Alert/update services◦ Saving searches◦ Saving specific resources/items discovered◦ Collaboration options

ISI Web of Science Ebsco databases (“My Folder”) CSA WorldCat Also worth mentioning:

◦ PubMed◦ CQ Researcher

TOCs from new issues of journals you use New articles related to research topics New books New patents News

From JAMA & Archives: http://pubs.ama-assn.org/misc/rssfeed.dtl#howdoiget

To access RSS feeds, an RSS reader is necessary

RSS feeds can be sent to email, but that can get cluttery

Reader options include:◦ RSS Reader◦ Feed Reader◦ Sharp Reader◦ NewsFire (Mac)◦ Google Reader

FREE! Access Offline with Gears, Online, on your

Phones & PDAs, and from 3rd Party Apps. Manage Tasks with

◦ Due Dates◦ Priority Settings◦ Attachments

(File or URL)

◦ Notes◦ Tags◦ Sharing Tasks

Windows Live SkyDrive: http://home.live.com

Drop.io: http://drop.io/ Google Docs: http://docs.google.com DropBox: https://www.dropbox.com/ TigerBytes II, of course

Backup, remotely collaborate, and store research-related documents and works-in-progress

Rebecca Miller, millerrk@lsu.eduDigital Technologies Librarian

Jenna Ryan, jryan1@lsu.edu Science Reference Librarian

Angela VandenBroek, akvbroek@lsu.edu Reference, Web Genius

Updates on tools like these delivered via:Facebook.com/lsulibrariesTwitter.com/lsulibraries