I'm a rookie to Bookends and have been surfing around the forum looking for various posts or ideas on how people use Bookends. None have directly answered my question, so I'll throw this up for whoever wants to answer (if anyone).
Question(s): What are the various ways in which you use Bookends? What do you store in your database? Books in your library? Printed articles in your filing cabinet? How large is your database?
I'm a grad student and working on a workflow system that combines note taking (presently using Journler), writing (Scrivener and Mellel). I guess I'm trying to see what kind of milage more experienced users are getting out of Bookends.
Any help?
How Do You Use Bookends
Re:How Do You Use Bookends
I have 2 main libraries that I pretty much use on a daily basis. I am a scientist and have many images stored on my hard drive. I use BookEnds to keep them organized and easily searchable.
I have another library with over 6000 references and many different groups that I combine in various ways to make it easier to look up articles covering a specific topic. I have about 1500 references linked to pdf files. For my filed away hard copies, I entered the exact location of the file in bookends so I can retrieve it right away.
So, in a nutshell, I use it for researching and organizing files in addition to generating references for publications.
Hope that helps!
I have another library with over 6000 references and many different groups that I combine in various ways to make it easier to look up articles covering a specific topic. I have about 1500 references linked to pdf files. For my filed away hard copies, I entered the exact location of the file in bookends so I can retrieve it right away.
So, in a nutshell, I use it for researching and organizing files in addition to generating references for publications.
Hope that helps!
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ricodelfuego
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i posted this info in another thread, but it seems appropriate for this one as well:
Maybe i'm doing things inefficiently (??). I have a database called PDF_library that contains all references for which I have actual papers on disk. I consider this to be my "master database". I also create other databases for individual projects, and drag any desired refs from PDF_library into the project database.
When doing Pubmed searches, I generally have an "Inbox" database. Although some refs that i grab from Pubmed come with pdfs, others don't. After I grab all the refs from Pubmed and copy them to Inbox, I'll copy them all to the project database, and then copy all that have attachments to my PDF_library database.
Doing it this way, I often end up with duplicates from both my PDF_library and project database, which I then remove from both databases. However, now i've got tons of duplicate pdfs in my attachments folder. I use Skim to mark them up, so it can be tricky to tell which copies to throw away (I generally want to keep the oldest / original one that has all my notes etc)
There must be a better way to deal with it? any ideas?
Maybe i'm doing things inefficiently (??). I have a database called PDF_library that contains all references for which I have actual papers on disk. I consider this to be my "master database". I also create other databases for individual projects, and drag any desired refs from PDF_library into the project database.
When doing Pubmed searches, I generally have an "Inbox" database. Although some refs that i grab from Pubmed come with pdfs, others don't. After I grab all the refs from Pubmed and copy them to Inbox, I'll copy them all to the project database, and then copy all that have attachments to my PDF_library database.
Doing it this way, I often end up with duplicates from both my PDF_library and project database, which I then remove from both databases. However, now i've got tons of duplicate pdfs in my attachments folder. I use Skim to mark them up, so it can be tricky to tell which copies to throw away (I generally want to keep the oldest / original one that has all my notes etc)
There must be a better way to deal with it? any ideas?
rico,
your method seems a little bloated to me, but if it works for you continue.
I have one database, and have BE set to backup daily, plus I use Time Machine. So I'm not worried about losing info.
The disadvantage to having a PDF library is what you pointed out, having duplicates and having to manage all of that. Plus, you cannot search ALL of your references in that way (books, essays, articles). If you still want to see all your PDF's make a smart collection.
As for inbox, I kind of think in this matter to, but again it is not hard to use one database. If you are in a "power gathering session" just place imported items into your hits list and process them from there. In the single view window, they will also be last in line which helps.
I also use color labels For organizing types. Books I have and attachments stay regular, stuff I need to read are blue, books I have used from the library and want to buy are Green, books I have used but don't own are red. Again, you can make smart groups to see these all together.
hope this snapshot helps. I use DEVONthink to index all the PDF files and for some note-taking.
your method seems a little bloated to me, but if it works for you continue.
I have one database, and have BE set to backup daily, plus I use Time Machine. So I'm not worried about losing info.
The disadvantage to having a PDF library is what you pointed out, having duplicates and having to manage all of that. Plus, you cannot search ALL of your references in that way (books, essays, articles). If you still want to see all your PDF's make a smart collection.
As for inbox, I kind of think in this matter to, but again it is not hard to use one database. If you are in a "power gathering session" just place imported items into your hits list and process them from there. In the single view window, they will also be last in line which helps.
I also use color labels For organizing types. Books I have and attachments stay regular, stuff I need to read are blue, books I have used from the library and want to buy are Green, books I have used but don't own are red. Again, you can make smart groups to see these all together.
hope this snapshot helps. I use DEVONthink to index all the PDF files and for some note-taking.
~I swore to myself that if I ever got to walk around the room as manager people would laugh as they saw me coming and applaud as I walked away~
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ricodelfuego
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Mon Jun 12, 2006 2:48 am
- Location: SoCal
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My money is on Mellel at this point. But let's hope that updates for both will be coming out soon.danzac wrote:it will be this year. Let's hope the next update for Mellel wll also come soonrer rather than later.
This may be getting OT, though it redounds to Jon's efforts to develop Bookends at an impressive and consistent pace.
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dspedersen
- Posts: 60
- Joined: Sun Jun 25, 2006 12:25 pm
Regarding the topic, I simply have different databases for the different projects; however, it'd be nice if there were some sort of feature/possibility for having a "All BE entries in total"-db. Like a smart-list in iTunes. Or rather the other way around.
Sometimes I can't quite remember in which DB I threw a reference, especially if the projects were related and sometimes I end up having the same references in different dbs. But as long as BE just keeps one attachment, i.e. one copy of the pdfs, it ain't a problem.
Sometimes I can't quite remember in which DB I threw a reference, especially if the projects were related and sometimes I end up having the same references in different dbs. But as long as BE just keeps one attachment, i.e. one copy of the pdfs, it ain't a problem.
what is the advantage to having multiple databases? why not just have multiple static groups in one database?dspedersen wrote:Regarding the topic, I simply have different databases for the different projects; however, it'd be nice if there were some sort of feature/possibility for having a "All BE entries in total"-db. Like a smart-list in iTunes. Or rather the other way around.
Sometimes I can't quite remember in which DB I threw a reference, especially if the projects were related and sometimes I end up having the same references in different dbs. But as long as BE just keeps one attachment, i.e. one copy of the pdfs, it ain't a problem.
~I swore to myself that if I ever got to walk around the room as manager people would laugh as they saw me coming and applaud as I walked away~
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Doktor Markus
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I have been using different databases in BE for each research/writing project. For those of you who are using only one database: any speed issues with large databases? How many items in your database?
I use the Keywords field to keep the subcategories titles for each project. Then I make a Smart Group to view all resources in a subcategory. Is there a better way than this (it doesn't work if I miss-spell a keyword or forget to add it--a customizable pop-up menu would be nice).
I use the Keywords field to keep the subcategories titles for each project. Then I make a Smart Group to view all resources in a subcategory. Is there a better way than this (it doesn't work if I miss-spell a keyword or forget to add it--a customizable pop-up menu would be nice).