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SOAD R209 Apparel Industries

Developing a Workflow

How are you currently taking notes on what you read / see?  

Sync your research practices with digital tools, while harnassing the most from whatever you’re using to sustain your engagement with writing, and to eliminate moments of “Did I actually read that?”   

Handy tip:  write 1-2 sentences about how the source you’ve found relates to your research.  This will save you loads of time later when you’re trying to remember “Why did I save this?”

  • Evernote – free software for Macs and PCsthat allows you to take notes and store them
  • Google docs – free, platform-independent software that allows you to take notes and store them in the cloud.  Ideal for researchers engaged in team-based projects 
  • Microsoft OneNote – subscription-based software for PCs that allows for long-formwriting; organizes writing into pages and notebooks

Save your Work! (ALWAYS!)

Back-up practice #1 -- back up your references and notes in three places:

  • here -- your computer or tablet
  • near -- a USB or external hard drive
  • far -- Google Docs, Dropbox.com, Box, or another cloud service

Back-up practice #2 -- use one online ‘place’ as your “research home base,” putting everything there first, then save it to other places.  

Back-up practice #3:  try to keep the file and folder structure of your 2-3 back-up places as similar as possible, so you can stay more organized.

Some handy back-ups

  • Dropbox.com – this free (for up to 2 GB), platform-independent software allows you to save your files, pictures, and data online.
  • Google Drive -- free with a Gmail account; generally good for multimedia
  • Time Machine – a free (usually pre-installed) backup feature for Mac users
  • Backup and Restore – a free (usually pre-installed) backup feature for PC users