1. Research Information Management
Tools for the Humanities

2. Access: Fundamentals of Using a Database
January 19
Today’s arrangements
Your teachers are:
We finish at:
You will have: Course book
Talk through slide
Introductions
Discuss the organisation of the sessions:
mixture of presentation and hands-on exercises coffee during hands-on

3. Your safety and comfort are important
Access: Fundamentals of Using a Database
January 19
Your safety and comfort are important
Where is the fire exit?
Please report any equipment faults to us
The toilets are along the corridor outside the lecture rooms
The rest area is where you registered; it has vending machines and a water cooler ♫♪

4. Access: Fundamentals of Using a Database
January 19
The course handbook
Tasks for you to practise during today’s course
Work at your own pace!
Be selective
Follow-up work
Continue with exercises after the session
Computer-8 drop-in sessions at OUCS
You may find there are too many exercises to complete in today’s session. Do some while here, with teacher & demonstrators around. Do some later for practice, or to work further on topics that interest you. Come to Computer-8 at OUCS, drop-in sessions.

5. Information management
How you organise all the source material, notes, and other documents that relate to your research
Today’s session introduces some tools to help do this

6. Finding out about useful tools
Research Skills Toolkit:
Bodleian Libraries WISER sessions
Colleagues and friends
Suggestions of new tools
Tips and tricks for using old ones
Google or other search engines

7. Desktop or online?
Do you download the program, or log in to a website?
Where do you normally work?
How many computers do you use?
Do you always have Internet access?
Some tools offer both desktop and Web versions, for the best of both worlds

8. Data storage and security
Where is your data stored?
On your hard drive?
On a Web service’s server?
On both?
Are there any restrictions on what you can do with your data?
Confidentiality
Copyright

9. Safeguarding your data
Online services are great, but what if...
The service was down for maintenance?
The site announced it was closing down?
Can you export your data in a widely used format?
The site disappeared overnight?
Do you have back up copies?
Desktop services aren’t totally immune

10. Safeguarding yourself
Don’t be paranoid, but do take reasonable precautions
Check for reviews of unfamiliar software
Keep your anti-virus software up to date
Don’t reveal more personal information than you’re comfortable with
Consider using an alternative address to register with websites

11. Organising electronic material
What sort of system do you prefer?
Hierarchical?
Files organised in folders and sub-folders
Tag-based?
Each item has one or more tags or labels
Each has strengths and weaknesses

12. Retrieving information
The way we plan to retrieve information affects how we organise it
Two main methods:
Location-based finding
Use a search function
Greater use of searching may make us more efficient
Especially if we brush up search technique

13. Search utilities Search emails and Web history as well as files
Index the contents of your computer for speedy searching
Though this can slow your computer down
Common utilities include Windows Search 4.0

14. Tools for tagging Tabbles TaggedFrog TaggTool Gmail For images: Flickr
Picasa
At this point, I’ll do a demonstration of Tabbles.

15. Bibliographic software
EndNote
RefWorks
Zotero
ColWiz
Mendeley
I’ll demonstrate Mendeley here

16. Other tools Diigo NVivo AllMyNotes Organizer Stickies
I’ll demonstrate Diigo here

17. Have a go! Try one or more of the exercises
Explore some of the tools that have been mentioned
Links are in the file called Tool website links – to be found on the network drive: H:\ or \LRx-nn

18. Integrating varied material
How many types of information do you work with?
Integrating material can save time
One collection to search instead of several
Less likely to miss things
But you should only do it if it’s useful

19. Paper and electronic material
No simple solution (sorry!)
Scanning and OCR
OUCS Help Centre has scanners
Bodleian photocopiers can also scan
Digital pens
Integrated indexing

20. Electronic material One project may require several types of material
Storing these together makes life easier
Where this isn’t practical, a good search utility may still help

21. Useful tools OneNote Planz A.nnotate Idea Rover Scrivener
I’ll demonstrate OneNote, Planz, and A.nnotate here.

22. File synchronisation Useful for multiple computers Dropbox SugarSync
Windows Live Mesh

23. Have a go! Try one or more of the exercises
Explore some of the tools that have been mentioned
Links are in the file called Tool website links – to be found on the network drive: H:\ or \LRx-nn

24. Databases
Use of structured (and semi-structured) data growing in the humanities
Databases and/or XML often underpin websites
Word processors not ideal for every eventuality

25. Spreadsheets Use to analyse regular sets of information Useful for
Time series; census information; financial accounts
Useful for
Ordering lists
Numerical analysis
Creating charts and graphs
Use convict ship lists as an example? – average age; counting professions?

26. Spreadsheets

27. Relational databases
Use to analyse complex data involving different (but connected) objects
Linked tables – each similar to a spreadsheet
Useful for
Flexibility
Identifying relationships
Structuring information for Web searching
Mention REP as an example

28. Relational databases

29. XML (and XML databases)
A means of tagging information so that it become machine-readable
Can indicate proper names, parts of speech, variable readings, or any other characteristic of a section of text
TEI XML is the standard for the humanities
Useful for
Textual analysis
Preparing and presenting texts on the Web
Use BNC as an example?
Also mention use for preparing Web content

30. XML

31. RDF metadata A means of expressing relationships between data
Used in developing the ‘Semantic Web’
Useful for
Integrating existing databases by mapping metadata to a common standard
Network analysis
Mention Claros as an example

32. Coming soon – ORDS
The Oxford Research Database Service will be launched early in 2012
Based on an online tool called the DaaS (Database as a Service)
Will provide a straightforward and inexpensive way of creating research databases (relational and XML)
Testing currently underway
To find out more, visit or

33. The DaaS

34. Useful websites and services
Research Skills Toolkit
Research Data Management website
InfoDev
HFS back up service