A Digital Workflow to Manage Your Academic Life

Academics, Productivity

Edit 5 May 2014: I have now switched my workflow to iPad. It is very similar in the tools that I use and my post about using the Apple hardware can be found here.

Edit 18 February 2014: Although I tried, I found switching over to the Zotero interface clunky after the sleekness of integration that Mendeley offers, particularly with renaming and filing pdfs.  I am back to utilizing Mendeley. 

Edit 17 September 2013: As I was nearing the end of my time as a graduate student, Mendeley sold themselves to another company. As a result, I, and many other academics have chosen to switch software. I have chosen to begin using the open-source alternative Zotero. Although there is more of a learning curve with Zotero, it has been fantastic at meeting my needs. In the future I will write about the switch.

Awhile back, I wrote a piece for the UC Davis Native American Studies Grad Students blog about workflow automation. Since then, I have continued to add to my digital workflow in an effort to move completely paperless. With my office desktop, Android tablet, and smartphone, I have all the tools I need to help me accomplish a smooth process of researching and writing. The following software and hardware tips are suitable for new and seasoned academics alike. Please feel free to share how you manage your digital space too!

My workflow now includes three pieces of software:

1. Dropbox which I use to sync all my current class, paper, and project files to my desktop, tablet, and smartphone

Dropbox is a cloud computing tool that allows users access to free online space and will sync files across any devices you install on. I currently use the application on my office desktop, tablet, and smartphone. I keep the folder for syncing on my desktop and place all my current project files in it so I have access anywhere since any item in the folder are automatically shared with my other devices. You can also share specific folders with project collaborators while keeping the majority of your files private.

2. Mendeley for syncing all my citation information, reference notes, and automated “cite while you write” (on my smartphone I can search and forward citations to fellow scholars while conversing in the halls or between conference sessions without worrying about forgetting later which is an additional bonus)

I like Mendeley because it has a desktop interface that allows me to use it when I’m not online, yet still synchs all my materials to the online space and all my other devices just like Dropbox. It keeps all my citations up to date. You can store actual copies of references (up to 1 GB) for free, or, use the workflow tips below to keep them organized through your Dropbox and never pay anything!

3. iAnnotate PDF for highlighting and annotating of all those references right on my tablet screen – link takes you to GooglePlay as I own an Android tablet, but the app is available from iTunes as well for Apple users – this free app on my tablet has changed the way I work because now I can get away from my desk and the multiple distractions it provides

Now, my updated workflow from my earlier post simply incorporates my tablet computer. This allows me to work on-the-road or between meetings without finding an office space.

workflowgraphic

1. Drag a PDF file from the downloads folder into Mendeley desktop (or, if like me you already have folders full of them, you can bulk drag-and-drop). Another option is to use the web importer button for more than 30 different sites to instantly import citations from places like Amazon, Google Books, EBSCO, JSTOR, SAGE, etc.

2. Delete the original file if you used the drag-and-drop method above because the re-named file is already sorted into Dropbox. (More on this later.)

3. Check the reference information for accuracy in Mendeley. The program automatically pulls a variety of meta-data and fills it in for you, but it isn’t always perfect. Make any changes needed, then click the “information is correct” button. Add your tags and sort it into any collection you need. After checking it this once, you never have to enter the information in again.

4a. In the notes tab, I fill in my notes while I read, highlight on the PDF in Mendeley, etc. For books from seminars I copy and paste in my book synopsis papers and then go back and insert additional notes after class discussions. If you take your laptop to class with Mendeley, you can add your notes automatically in the program to any citation.

4b. Alternatively, because the file is in my Dropbox, I can open it on my tablet in iAnnotate PDF. Then, using my GoSmart stylus (the most accurate for fine lines and highlighting that I’ve found, also durable) I can highlight, add comment, handwrite notes, etc. to my heart’s content. Then, using the “email annotations” function, I email all my notes to myself for copying and pasting into the notes tab in Mendeley once I return home. Using this, I can sit by my fireplace and read for hours, read on the plane, or wherever I am that is more comfortable than remaining at my desk all the time. I find I get much more done in reviewing literature using this feature because it gets me out in new locations and keeps me away from the distractions of multiple open windows on my desktop. Since the .pdf files with the annotations are opened through Dropbox, they are automatically synched back to all your other devices. I use the copy-paste function for my notes though so that I have something quick to skim when I am searching through my references while writing.

5. Use the Cite While You Write tool to automatically generate citations in a variety of formats in Word (also works in Open Office, Google Docs). At the end of your document, “insert bibliography” to instantly get a perfectly formatted References list that doesn’t require you to comb through the paper making sure you haven’t missed one.

Check out my previous post on the UCD NAS Grad Student blog in order to walk you through the steps of setting up you Mendeley and Dropbox synch.

Bonus App Suggestion: TextMaker Mobile for your office document needs. This app is not free like the others I’ve talked about but it includes the ability to track changes and add comments, making it one of the best Android device apps for on-the-go work when you don’t want to pack your laptop for your weekend away or out-of-office excursions.

Selected for the 2012 Ellen Hansen Memorial Prize

Art

Ellen Hansen was a student of UC Davis when she was killed in 1981 while hiking in the Santa Cruz mountains. Her father, Robert J. Hansen, a UCD professor of Vet Medicine, established this annual award in 1986 as a tribute. Each year, the Prize is awarded to a UCD woman student whose creative project demonstrates the bravery and independence of women.

I was honored to be selected as one of two first prizes in the 2012 competition among a cadre of beautiful creative projects. My piece is called Healing Shawl and is a full-sized dance shawl printed by dye-sublimation and featuring hand-tied fringe. The shawl was danced at the 40th Annual UC Davis powwow on April 7, 2012 for the benefit of the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Center.

My thanks go out to the Hansens, everyone who contributed to making the exhibit happen, and to all those involved in my project.

EllenHansenPrize

More images and the artist statement can be viewed in the Healing Shawl portfolio entry, located here.

 

 

Published: Education History Research Published in the Southern California Quarterly

Academics, Publications

 

Southern California Quarterly
Volume 94, Number 3, Fall 2012
Piper v. Big Pine School District of Inyo County: Indigenous Schooling and Resistance in
the Early Twentieth Century

You can find the entire article here.

Abstract: Prior to the 1920s, the state of California authorized local school districts to educate Native American children in “separate but equal” facilities where there was no federal Indian school in the vicinity. In 1923 seven Indian children in Inyo County attempted to enroll in a public school instead of attending the poorer quality local Indian day school. The state Supreme Court, in Piper v. Big Pine School District (1924), ruled in their favor. The case was central to ending segregation in California’s public schools.

Presentation at History of Education Society

Academics, Presentations

Following a great experience at the Western History Association in October, I traveled further north to Seattle to participate in the History of Education Society meeting November 1-4, 2012. Another first for me, traveling to Seattle, I did take some time to explore the downtown despite drizzly pacific northwest weather (confession: I grew up in the PNW, and I LOVE the weather!).

Probably the smallest conference I have attended, HES was really enjoyable. With less sessions happening at one time, I began to see the same people at sessions through out the weekend and got to attend sessions much further afield than my research areas, which was a lot of fun.

I had some great co-presenters, all of whom pushed the boundaries of historical research on indigenous education history. The final published version of my research on Piper v. Big Pine School District of Inyo County can be found by clicking here.

 

Western History Association Conference

Academics, Presentations

This year, I got to spend my birthday sharing my research on the CA State Supreme Court case, Piper v. Big Pine School District of Inyo County (published work found here) with a great audience at the 51st annual meeting of the Western History Association in Denver, Colorado. It was my first trip to Colorado and I got to share the weekend with my Native American Studies colleague Angel Hinzo, spend time with our program coordinator Stella Mancillas, and get wonderful dialogue and discussion with historian Dr. Charles Roberts. We even got snowed on! (Okay, it was just little flurries, but it was cold!)

Thank you to my wonderful colleagues and friends for sharing a fun weekend talking about history, education history, and history education!

Special thanks to Drs. Charles Roberts and William Bauer who participated in my organized session “Settler Influences and California Indian Education”; and thanks to the audience who included Angel Hinzo, Stella Mancillas, Dr. David Wallace Adams, Dr. Margaret Connell-Szasz, and Dr. Cathleen Cahill for your attention, kind encouragements, and support.

Paper accepted at 12th International Diversity in Organizations, Communities and Nations Conference

Academics, Presentations

Following my Vancouver, B.C. adventures in the Spring, I have been accepted into the 12th International Diversity in Organizations, Communities and Nations Conference, also being held in Vancouver this Summer. Unfortunately (but not unfortunately), I was also accepted into a professional development opportunity that will greatly benefit me for my dissertation during this same time. This is solved by being a “virtual” presenter, sharing my paper for the conference, but unable to attend and visit again my neighbors to the north.

The First Nations and Indigenous Peoples stream looked especially rich and I am glad to have the opportunity to learn about the authors and work happening all over the world!

My conference entry, “Federal unenrollment impacts on scholar careers: A study on indigneous identity in academia” is linked here:

http://cgpublisher.com/conferences/213/proposals/66/index_html

 

AERA 2012 gathering in Vancouver, BC

Academics, Presentations

This year marks my third year participating in the American Educational Research Association’s annual meeting, and my second time as a presenting author. First, the location was absolutely incredible. Despite living in the West my whole life, the only part of Canada that I previously visited was Montreal. The sparkling blue waterways and snow-capped mountains of Vancouver in British Colombia were stunning! Sources say that the sunny mid-seventies weather was unseasonably perfect as well.

Beyond the beauty of the landscape, this year’s meeting had a distinct indigenous presence. The opening plenary session featured Decolonizing Methodologies author Linda T. Smith and opening and closing prayers and songs with local indigenous graduate students and community members. A number of sessions featured indigenous scholars sharing important work happening across Indian Country.

Besides attending a number of great sessions, I presented in two. Like in 2011, I presented on ongoing work based on my graduate student researcher position. We took advantage of AERA’s new session type called ‘structured poster sessions’ to develop several posters focused on different aspects of our 5-year mathematics formative assessment NSF research and development grant. We had a large conference room that allowed us time to each speak to attendees about the work and then break out into small groups surrounding each poster for more individualized Q&A. Additionally, I had the pleasure of presenting my own research for the first time. My paper described my nearly complete M.A. research on indigenous scholar identity construction. I received great feedback for focusing the analysis and enjoyed the opportunity to begin engaging fellow educational scholars in dialogues about work that is very dear to me.

The final piece of news comes from the business meeting of the special interest group for indigenous peoples of the americas – it was approved that the program chair would work with two graduate assistants on the 2013 program. Over the next year, I will learn more about the process of structuring the conference sessions based on papers accepted by external reviewers. I am looking forward to 2013 already!