Web tools for my PhD: Zotero and others

So I was going to work on my PhD proposal today, but instead I spent the entire day trying to ascertain whether there is a quick and easy way to do a PhD - there isn't. Or if there is, google does not know about it. Although I did come across someone who said that one of his student finished a PhD in 6 months. That is inspiring!

I also spent the day researching web-based research tools to make PhD life easier. I found that although there are lots and lots of research tools, most of them are annoying and do not do exactly what I want them to. Here is what I discovered and decided about research tools:

Citation Manager: Zotero
I decided to use zotero to manage my citations. And maybe syncing to citeulike and connotea in order to take advantage of community/sharing functions that zotero does not have. The main reasons I chose Zotero is that it is the best at easily capturing citations while browsing the web, and it can store associated documents (pdfs, snapshots). In addition, it allows tagging, multiple folders, saved searches, and has a playlist like functionality, and you might almost persuade yourself that you are listening to music. Other good things: it integrates with Word and OpenOffice, it it is open source.

Downsides of Zotero are that the citation database is stored on the local computer (or portable drive). Apparently they have plans to allow online storage, but that hasn't been implemented yet. Also it only works in Firefox and some other browser (not Internet Explorer). And another (minor) problem I have with Zotero is not seeing an ID number associated with each reference. I like to write these on any printouts so I can find them easily.

I think I will buy myself a new flash drive and install portable Firefox and Zotero on it and backup to both computers.

Must be careful to back things up and not overwrite the wrong files.

Working Online: Zoho or Google

Not quite sure on this yet. I am trying out both for writing, note-taking etc. I wonder if anyone has written a PhD in Google Docs? Probably not yet. I think I will have to write the actual PhD in Word, but could use google or zoho for drafts and notes and intermediary bits and pieces. Although the major drawback is that there is no integration with any of the citation managers.

Blog: Wordpress

Why Wordpress? Cause I didn't have a Wordpress blog. Although I do now: who where why. As you can see I don't have a thesis title yet, and the topic needs refining, but I figured whatever I choose it is going to relate to who where and why. And whowherewhy is easier to remember than really-long-convoluted-thesis-title.

Other

I will continue to use:

• gmail for email


• del.icio.us for bookmarks (wonder if it can integrate with Zotero?)


• rememberthemilk for todo lists (integrated with google calendar and twitter)


• google calendar (synced to Outlook)


• twitter for who knows what! I might start a special PhD twitter account though. I am not quite sure how useful twitter will be, but that is no reason not to try and see!


• LinkedIn for networking

Publications

Papers

Witten K, Huakau J, Mavoa S (forthcoming) Social and recreational travel: The destinations, travel modes, and CO2 emissions of New Zealand households. Social Policy Journal of New Zealand.

Oliver M, Badland HM, Mavoa S, Duncan,MD, Duncan JS (2010). Combining GPS, GIS and accelerometry: Methodological issues in the assessment of location and intensity of travel behaviors. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 7(1), 102-108.

Badland HM, Schofield GM, Witten K, Schluter PJ, Mavoa S, Kearns RA, Hinckson EA, Oliver M, Kaiwai H, Jensen VG, Ergler C, McGrath L, McPhee J (2009) Understanding the Relationship between Activity and Neighbourhoods (URBAN) Study: research design and methodology. BMC Public Health,v.9

Reports

Mavoa S (2008) Accessibility Model to Measure the Social Impact of Reduced Fuel Consumption Scenarios, SHORE & Whariki, Massey University, Auckland (Objective 3, milestone 8 )

Rose, E, Witten, K, Sweetsur, P, Huakau, J, Mavoa, S, McCreanor, T (2006) Key Social and Environmental Factors that Influence Neighbourhood Walking and Mode Choice in Neighbourhood Utilitarian Trips, Reduced CO2 from Sustainable Household Travel Research Programme Technical Report, Objective 2 Milestone 6, June 2006. Auckland: Centre for Social and Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation & Te Ropu Whariki

Conference Papers

Mavoa, S (2007) Estimating the social impact of reduced CO2 emissions from household travel using GIS modeling. In Morris, Jenny and Rose, Geoff, Eds.Proceedings 30th Australasian Transport Research Forum (ATRF), Melbourne, Australia. (PDF 1.6Mb)

Osborne PD, Mavoa S, Holman RA. (1999) Video remote sensing of longshore currents in a high energy surf zone. In: C. Stewart (ed.), Proc. Canadian Coastal Conference ‘99. Victoria, BC, CCSEA, pp. 225-236.

Conference Presentations and Posters

Witten, K, Mavoa, S, Kearns, RA (2009) Objective measures of a walkable neighbourhood: how do they fit with residents’ experiences? State of Australian Cities 2009, Perth, Australia, 24 – 27 November

Mavoa S (2009) GIS in research exploring the relationship between the built environment and health. NZ ESRI User Conference 2009, Wellington, New Zealand, 2-5 November 2009.

Mavoa S (2008), Modeling change in accessibility as a measure of the social impact of reduced CO2 emissions from household travel, National Cartographic Conference (Geocart 2008) and 20th Annual Colloquium of the Spatial Information Research Centre (SIRC), University of Auckland, September 2008

Mavoa S, Witten K (2008) Neighbourhood walkability: developing tools to measure infrastructural and experiential factors associated with walking for transport and walking for leisure, New Zealand Walking Conference, Auckland 4-5 Aucgust 2008

Mavoa S (2008) Investigating the relationship between the built environment, transport and health, Sustainable Cities Session, New Zealand Geographical Society Conference, Victoria University, Wellington, 2-5 July, 2008

Mavoa, S (2007) Estimating the social impact of reduced CO2 emissions from household travel using GIS modeling. 30th Australasian Transport Research Forum (ATRF), Melbourne, Australia, 2007

Mavoa, S (2007) Spatio-temporal modeling of accessibility under different transport scenarios. Poster presented at the 8th International Conference on Spatial Information Theory, COSIT 2007, Melbourne, Australia, September 19-23, 2007. (PDF 1.2Mb)

Witten K, McCreanor T, Mavoa S, Greenaway S, Reducing CO2 Emissions from Domestic Travel: Exploring the social and health impacts, EcoHealth, Deakin University, December 2007, Melbourne, Australia

Huisman O, Mavoa S, Forer P (2003) “Mapping Time in Space: the three-dimensional representation of activity and opportunity in time and space.”GEOCART2003 Conference. 12-14 February 2003 (Taupo, New Zealand)