Technology

Today, technology has provided tools to make all aspects of academic life easier, more effective, and more immediately accessible. But to try to keep up with technology has become its own overwhelming chore. Rather than trying to keep up, then, this page offers a taste of some technology resources that have most positively impacted my work as an academic.

Research Tools

Bibliographic Software:

Procite

Endnote

Reference Manager

Ibidem

Papyrus

Scribe

Pen Scanners:

Wizcom Quicklink

C-Pen 600/800

Iris

Web Browser:

Opera

Instructional Tools: Includes tools for grading and checking for plagiarism, among others.

Web Publishing: Used for creating web pages of your own.

Miscellaneous Tools: Includes tools for creating online surveys, finding "dead" web links, and more.

Bibliographic Software

Bibliographic Software: Used for a range of tasks including internet search/retrieval of bibliographic information for sources (with a protocol called Z39.50) from databases, sharing bibliographies on the web, maintaining a database of all bibliographic information for sources, generating bibliographies (in conjunction with a word processor) in a range of common formats, and storing and organizing all research and teaching notes pertaining to each source. For more reference management program comparisons, see: NT Evaluation. See below for descriptions of the top reference management programs.

Procite
Endnote
Reference Manager
Ibidem
Papyrus
Scribe

Procite:

Special benefits:

Can do all of the above

Unlimited field length (you really can include all of your teaching notes in the notes or abstract fields)

Grouping capabilities (you can maintain one database for all of your data from the courses you’re taking, your teaching notes, your dissertation, publications-in-progress and yet can sort all of these sources into topic files as well)

Visual layout with tabs aids in ease-of-use

http://www.procite.com/

Problems:

Rumors that ISI ResearchSoft may be trying to phase it out

Some people find it more difficult to use because it has so many more features than other applications from same distributor

No spell check

$109.95 (student price)

Endnote:

Special Benefits:

Understood as the “easy” bibliographic application

Is being regularly updated

Has spell check

Can format entire text according to formatting guidelines

http://www.endnote.com/

Problems:

Field length limited to 8ish pages

No grouping capabilities (must signal separate projects through keywords + searching or through keeping references in separate topic databases [but this is a pain for duplication/ease of searching issues])

$109.95 (student price)

Reference Manager:

Special benefits:

Is being regularly updated

Has spell check

Can search across several databases at the same time

http://www.refman.com/rmhome.asp

Problems:

Field length limited to 8ish pages

No grouping capabilities (must signal separate projects through keywords + searching or through keeping references in separate topic databases [but this is a pain for duplication/ease of searching issues])

$109.95 (student price)

Ibidem (bundled in Scholar’s Workstation):

Special benefits:

Not affiliated with/compatible with Microsoft Word

Designed for humanities academics

Works well with range of information, includes database applications for other kinds of information

http://www.notabene.com/

Problems:

Not affiliated with/compatible with Microsoft Word (i.e. have to use their word processor, Nota bene)

$249 (student price)

Papyrus:

Special benefits:

Cheap

http://www.researchsoftwaredesign.com/

Problems:

Not Z39.50 compatible (therefore must go to all internet sources directly and then import)

A dos program, so it’s ugly

Limited field length, even in “notecard” section

No grouping capabilities

Scribe:

Special benefits:

Free

Designed by academics for managing notes

http://chnm.gmu.edu/tools/scribe/

Problems:

Not yet tested by The Engaged Intellectual

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Pen Scanners:

Used for scanning segments of printed (and occasionally handwritten) text, often work best with originals vs. photocopies, and info is uploaded to computer via infrared port or a serial/parallel port connection. Some include massive storage for use away from computer; some require constant connection to computer; some include dictionaries, translation software, etc.

Wizcom Quicklink
C-Pen 600/800
Iris

Wizcom Quicklink Pen Scanner:

The QuickLink Pen is an electronic highlighter that lets you copy, clip and store printed text, Internet Links, tables and charts, and transfer the data to your computer, PDA or text-enabled cell phone. You can scan information directly into any application real-time or store up to 1000 pages.

http://www.wizcomtech.com/Wizcom/products/product_info.asp?fid=101

~$160.00

C-Pen 600 or 800:

C-Pen is a mobile information collector that reads, remembers, processes and transfers printed text cordlessly to your Windows-equipped PC. C-Pen is in essence an electronic highlighter that saves the text you are marking. C-Pen 600 combines the reading capacity with translation ability that makes it the perfect companion on your travels or in your studies. Your Personal Digital Assistant makes it a habit to bring your portable text collector with you, and you are always ready to read and save text from books, papers, brochures or business cards. You can easily record price-lists, timetables, wine-tips or witty quotes. You don't have to tear out pages any more. Your saved text files can later be transferred to your PC. It is also possible to use C-Pen to read text directly into a Windows application in your PC. Stores up to 3000 pages.

http://www.cpen.com

~$150.00

IRIS Pen Scanner:

Has to be connected to computer; but does much better work than quicklink or c-pen with manuscript.

http://www.irisusa.com/products/irispen/index.html

~$130.00 – 200.00

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Web Browser:

Used for "seeing" websites; some browser applications also include tools for receiving/sending/storing email, for storing research notes, for receiving RSSfeeds, and other functions. Some browsers are also better than others at helping to protect users from dangerous files.

Opera:

Very flexible according to user preferences; very light (i.e. loads faster w/ a range of connections than other popular browsers); includes terrific organization system for emails with very handy email searching, etc.; also includes “notes” function for taking and organizing notes while surfing; rss feed reader; newsgroup reader; independent company.

http://www.opera.com/

$0.00

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Instructional Tools

Gradekeeper:

Like a paper gradebook. You can record grades and attendance for the entire school year. You can add students, assignments, and scores to your gradebook by just clicking and typing. When you set up grade scale and weight of assignments, gradekeeper will automatically calculate grades for you.

http://www.gradekeeper.com/

~$20.00

Turnitin:

Although highly controversial, this plagiarism-detection system is widely used. Check with your university to see if it's a subscriber.

http://turnitin.com

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Web Publishing