Saturday, December 02, 2006

notetaking software

Note taking software?



Hi all -- does anyone use notetaking sofware? I'm awful at taking notes on my computer -- partially because it's uncomfortable, partially because taking notes longhand on paper seems to fix things into my brain in a more permanent way. Nevertheless, paper is a bit more cumbersome and definitely heavier. So, I have questions for you denizens of the internets:
  1. How do you take notes? (format)
  2. If you use note taking software, what do you use and why?
  3. If you take notes on a computer, but don't use software made for notetaking, what do you use and why?


I have just downloaded the new version of Scribe from the GMU site, which seems much more user-friendly and much less clunky than the old version. Does anyone else have specific comments about Scribe?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ooh, I'll be interested to see the answers you get.

I actually do a little of both - I take a lot of notes by hand, usually in Moleskine notebooks or the like, though sometimes Circa notebooks from Levenger. Sometimes I take notes on the computer. When I do, I just use MS Word and keep them organized in different files according to source. If I own a book, I usually just write all over it and dispense with formal notes!

In any case, I am NOT a model of any kind in this matter.

undine said...

It depends. If I'm working on something where I'll need to find it again, I use the computer. I write the notes in Word and then (if the spirit moves me), I put them into Endnote.

If I'm at a conference just listening to people (which isn't what you mean, I don't think), I write on paper because using a laptop or PDA with keyboard seems to attract attention, though notes on a computer would be easier to find after the conference is over.

If you find some good note-taking software, please tell us!

~profgrrrrl~ said...

This is a Mac only thing, but I wholeheartedly recommend Soho Notes.

Anonymous said...

I wholeheartedly recommend Soho Notes, also. I use it all the time now that I'm in a PhD program. It's much less cumbersome and way more searchable than using Word.

Just my two cents.

Anonymous said...

I take reading notes on the computer, but just in my Word program, which is still searchable, and so seems to be all I need.

D. takes notes in DevonThink and loves it. She keeps trying to get me to switch over, but my simpler system is still working for me, so I've been resistant.

Jonathan Dresner said...

I'm with New Kid, though I really ought to test drive some of the software packages out there, because it's not really enough for bigger projects.

Unknown said...

I'm still completely longhand; I write all my notes out on unlined, white paper (either in a sketch notebook or just computer paper). Then I paper clip and file them away.