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Software for dissertation research & writing
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Posted by NW
Dec 1, 2006 at 09:19 PM
I am just about to start the dissertation stage of a MSc in Project Management. I have already done some preliminary research and collected a number of reference documents together with associated notes. At the moment this material is contained in a MindManager map. I already have a number of information management applications - Treepad, InfoHandler, PersonalBrain, WikidPad…., but I am looking for something is designed specifically for this sort of task which will help me organise my research and write a draft.
I had a quick look at ndxCard and have just downloaded Idea Mason to check out.
I would be grateful for any user experiences with above software or suggestion re alternatives.
Regards,
Nigel
Posted by Hugh Pile
Dec 3, 2006 at 11:42 AM
Nigel
IdeaMason appears to be generally held in high regard, as much for the potential of its new version which is previewed extensively on its site and is due to be released this month (December), as for its current incarnation.
ndx cards approaches the task from a different direction. Preference may be a matter of taste. Both programmes have been extensively discussed on this forum and its predecessor in the past, and a search will tell you more about what people think.
Posted by Derek Cornish
Dec 3, 2006 at 03:52 PM
Nigel,
I agree with Hugh. IdeaMason is looking especially useful, although I haven’t trialled it extensively. Another option might be Nota Bene - http://www.notabene.com/ - which also provides what you are looking for, and has been in the business for a long time. Your choice partly depends on your future plans; Nota Bene always seemed to me to be a career academic’s tool, though, and requires a lot of investment in terms of time and money.
Given the stage you are at, I’d probably plump for IdeaMason, as much to avoid the procrastinating allure of CRIMP as anything else…
Derek
Posted by NW
Dec 4, 2006 at 01:58 PM
Hugh & Derek,
Thanks for the replies.
ndxCards - this software has a “Windows 3.1” feel about it. Functionality is OK, but when it draws up the cards on my monitor it seems to resize them a few times before it ‘settles down’ and even though it happens quickly, I find it really annoying.
Notabene - One look at the price list was enough to stop further investigations.
IdeaMason - The current version is ‘useable’, but it looks like the additional features & UI chnages in the next version due this month would be necessary to convince to think seriously about it. I check it out out again when the new version becomes available.
With new versions of OneNote & PersonalBrain due in the new year, it seems like my 2007 CRIMP budget is under pressure already! So IdeaMason will have to convince me that it can really make life alot easier for me, to make me fork out the money for it. I have managed to complete a couple of smaller projects for my MSc without it, which maybe says my search is another symptom of CRIMP, rather than an actual requirement for another piece of software!
Derek Cornish wrote:
>Nigel,
>
>Given the stage you are at, I’d probably
>plump for IdeaMason, as much to avoid the procrastinating allure of CRIMP as anything
>else…
>
>Derek
Posted by Softwareguru
Dec 5, 2006 at 07:49 AM
Hi,
The only application on the market with a reasonable price for academic (and even non-academic) writing is IdeaMason.
The interface of version 2.2 looks old fashioned and a bit childish but it is a very capable application.
Version 3 will be released by the end of December or beginning of January and will a have an interface similar to Ultra Recall and will include keyboard shortcuts and a lot of very interesting and useful features. I myself rate IdeaMason as the best company so far in regard of customer responsiveness. All the features I have requested (rtf export, smaller Icons, keyboard shortcuts etc.) will be in the coming version 3.
ndxCards is very nice but I personally don’t like the interface and the strict card metaphor.
Notabene is the rolls royce but too expensive and complex for me.
I can’t imagine how it would work to use ADM, Ultra Recall or any other Outliner/PIM application for serious academic research and/or writing because these tools are not designed for that purpose.
Who I am:
I am a software developer (OO, Java, .NET, C#) living in Austria.
Regards,
Softwareguru