From 98145e412f3b7a296843d3319bd917636f6adb4c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Kyle Meyer Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2014 01:47:38 -0500 Subject: DOC: Add README --- README.org | 136 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 136 insertions(+) create mode 100644 README.org (limited to 'README.org') diff --git a/README.org b/README.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5a7b8cf --- /dev/null +++ b/README.org @@ -0,0 +1,136 @@ +#+title: Bog - Extensions for research notes in Org + +Bog is a system for taking research notes in [[http://orgmode.org/][Org mode]]. As any Org user +knows, Org handles notetaking beautifully. Bog just adds a few +research-specific features, nearly all of which are focused on managing +and taking notes with Org, not on writing research articles with Org. +The main features include + +- Opening a PDF associated with reference citekey +- Opening a BibTeX entry associated with a citekey +- Searching Google Scholar using elements from citekey +- Renaming a newly downloaded PDF based on the current citekey + +* Workflows + +Many people use Org for taking research notes, and there are some really +nice descriptions of systems people have come up with (for a few +examples, see [[http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/78983][these]] [[http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/14756][threads]] on the Org mode mailing list). + +The workflow for Bog is based on these preferences: + +1. I don't want to store a lot of metadata with my notes. + + The citekey is the unique identifier that I use to link the notes + with the BibTeX and PDF files. With just the citekey, I should be + able to access this. If desired, more information can be added (such + as bibliographic properties that can be generated with org-bibtex), + but this is not required. + + One of the reasons for this is #2. + +2. I want to have low friction for adding articles to the notes, but not + mindless. + + There is an endless stream of research articles, so it should be easy + to add them. On the other hand, it shouldn't be so easy that I file + them away without giving them any thought. For me, this means + capturing the article and a link in my normal Org notes system. At + some point, I glance over it enough to decide what general topic it + should be in and refile it into a research notes file. + + I prefer adding BibTeX and PDF files lazily. My only requirement is + that I put it in a relevant heading and that I name it with a proper + citekey. I make sure to add a link to the study online. I only + retrieve the BibTeX file or PDF file when I need to use them. + +Below is a more detailed description of the workflow and what Bog does. + +** Adding citekeys + +As mentioned above, when citekeys are added, they should be filed under +the appropriate topic. I organize my research notes into a few files +with broad topics then have one level of headers representing topics to +file studies under. + +#+begin_example + # In a very general topic file + + ,* Topic heder + + ,** name2000word :atag: + + + + Article notes +#+end_example + +"name2000word" is the study header. (The default format for the citekey +is the first author's last name, the year, and then the first +non-trivial word.) Currently, Bog expects the study citekey to be +heading text, but I plan to add support for storing the citekeys as +properties instead (see [[./bog-todo.org][bog-todo.org]]). + +If the study was added when checking journals online, I tend to add the +URL right under the heading. However, I often add citekeys from the +references of an article that I'm reading. In this case, I often store +only the heading. + +** Referencing studies + +Within the notes, you can references other studies with their citekey. + +#+begin_example + ,** name2000word :atag: + + Another study (another1999word). +#+end_example + +"another1999word" will be highlighted within the text. When the point is +within the citekey, many Bog functions can extract and use the citekey. + +** Opening a PDF file + +All PDF files are kept in a single directory and are named as +-*.pdf. The function =bog-find-citekey-pdf= will open a PDF +associated with a citekey. If the point is on a citekey, it will open +that citekey. Otherwise, it will use the citekey from the first parent +heading that is a study. + +** Opening a BibTeX file + +All BibTeX files are kept in a single directory and are named as +.bib. The function =bog-find-citekey-bib= will open the BibTeX +file associated with a citekey. The citekey is obtained in the same way +as the [[Opening a PDF file][PDF citekey]]. + +Although I prefer the above setup, using a single for all entries is +more common, so I plan to add support for this (see [[./bog-todo.org][bog-todo.org]]). + +** Searching citekey on the web + +The function =bog-search-citekey-on-web= will perform a search with the +citekey information. By default, Google Scholar is searched. The default +citekey format (first author's last name, year, and first non-trivial +word) usually contains enough information to make this search +successful. + +** Renaming a new PDF + +New PDF files can be put in a "stage" directory and then renamed to a +citekey. (The citekey can be taken from the notes context, as described +in [[Opening%20a%20PDF%20file][Opening a PDF file]].) + +** Renaming a new BibTeX file + +If a separate BibTeX file is used for each citekey, +=bog-rename-and-clean-new-bib-files= can be used to rename all new +BibTeX files. =bibtex-clean-entry= is used to clean the entry and +autogenerate the key. + +** Generating a combined BibTeX file + +If single-entry BibTeX files are used, there needs to be a way to +collect the references that are needed. =bog-create-combined-bib= can be +used to create a BibTeX file that has entries for all the citekeys in +the current buffer. -- cgit v1.2.3