Freeware Information management tool
Posted by graham.smith
on 1/20/2005
graham.smith
1/20/2005 4:06 am
I am trying to put together a software package for my students to try and help them handle information better and for planning and writing essays and lab reports. To do this I am trying to put together a collection of useful free software, along with lectures/handouts etc
FreeMind seems an obvious program to include for Brainstroming and I have a few free bibliographic tools that I can suggest such as JabRef, which I have just found.
As an aside for someone looking for an excellent bibliographic tool for the MAC, Papyrus is now free and got excellent reviews when it was released http://www.researchsoftwaredesign.com/Mac.html
Most people use Word so for outlining so I will just use Word as well.
However, what I am not so sure about is the best choice of a free "data gathering/note taking" type program. The sort of thing that I use Zoot for, but free and preferebly for Windows and Mac. maybe Linux.
As background, I want to put together a guidance booklet for my students (undergraduate biologists) on the "writing process" including brainstorming ideas, gathering data, storing and managing data, and then structuring the essay or report. This is something they are often tremdously bad at and to my surprise (as I am new to teaching) not taught at any stage in their education (this is the UK).
Any way, I would be grateful for any suggestions for a good Freeware information management tool, and indeed for any suggestions that you feel may be useful.
Many thanks,
Graham
FreeMind seems an obvious program to include for Brainstroming and I have a few free bibliographic tools that I can suggest such as JabRef, which I have just found.
As an aside for someone looking for an excellent bibliographic tool for the MAC, Papyrus is now free and got excellent reviews when it was released http://www.researchsoftwaredesign.com/Mac.html
Most people use Word so for outlining so I will just use Word as well.
However, what I am not so sure about is the best choice of a free "data gathering/note taking" type program. The sort of thing that I use Zoot for, but free and preferebly for Windows and Mac. maybe Linux.
As background, I want to put together a guidance booklet for my students (undergraduate biologists) on the "writing process" including brainstorming ideas, gathering data, storing and managing data, and then structuring the essay or report. This is something they are often tremdously bad at and to my surprise (as I am new to teaching) not taught at any stage in their education (this is the UK).
Any way, I would be grateful for any suggestions for a good Freeware information management tool, and indeed for any suggestions that you feel may be useful.
Many thanks,
Graham
sub
1/20/2005 5:50 am
Two tools spring to mind; the first should cover most needs for notetaking. It's Keynotes, a freeware 2-pane outliner with a tabbed document interface.
http://www.tranglos.com/free/keynote_download.html
The second tool I would warmly suggest is IHMC Cmap Tools, a free-for-academic use concept mapping environment that runs on Java; there's also documentation on concept mapping in the same website
http://cmap.ihmc.us/
alx
http://www.tranglos.com/free/keynote_download.html
The second tool I would warmly suggest is IHMC Cmap Tools, a free-for-academic use concept mapping environment that runs on Java; there's also documentation on concept mapping in the same website
http://cmap.ihmc.us/
alx
graham.smith
1/20/2005 11:05 am
alx,
I had forgotten about keynote, which I have installed and uninstalled a few times, PC only though, but yes, good pointer.
Cmap you have mentioned before and I will have to have a look at. Maybe not for this specifific purpose, as I'm not sure about giving them too many programs to play with, but I should have a look.
Graham
I had forgotten about keynote, which I have installed and uninstalled a few times, PC only though, but yes, good pointer.
Cmap you have mentioned before and I will have to have a look at. Maybe not for this specifific purpose, as I'm not sure about giving them too many programs to play with, but I should have a look.
Graham
sub
1/24/2005 3:06 pm
Graham,
here's a site definitely worth checking out for research software
http://ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/~jaytate/software.htm
alx
here's a site definitely worth checking out for research software
http://ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/~jaytate/software.htm
alx