Unfortunate: OneNote UWP (app version) vs. the 2016 workhorse

I've been saddened to learn that one of my favorite research tools of all time, Microsoft OneNote, seems to be headed off to software Valhalla, the land of great programs that were dumped by their creators.

Oh, there will be a pale ghost of a replacement, the Windows 10 UWP version. That's right, the version that forces you to use the inadequate OneDrive for storage and crashes out if you lose online access. (I work offline a lot and have also been less than impressed with OneDrive, particularly the business version.) Not to mention a considerable lack of features, compared to the desktop version, and the kindergarten-friendly design focus that seems to show the future of the app version: light and insubstantial.

Making time for writing - manager vs. maker time

When it comes to a sustainable writing habit, which is essential as someone in a teaching and research position, I was really happy to run across the concept of manager time vs. maker time from Paul Graham. This helps to explain why I like to start writing before email and do the bulk of my writing tasks before I actually come into the office, because once you start dealing with other tasks, that precious attention flow will start to become scattered and fragmented.

Ten simple rules for writing a response to reviewers

Ten simple rules for writing a response to reviewers - William Stafford Noble
Published: October 12, 2017 in PLOS

1. Provide an overview, then quote the full set of reviews
2. Be polite and respectful of all reviewers
3. Accept the blame
4. Make the response self-contained
5. Respond to every point raised by the reviewer
6. Use typography to help the reviewer navigate your response
7. Whenever possible, begin your response to each comment with a direct answer to the point being raised
8. When possible, do what the reviewer asks
9. Be clear about what changed relative to the previous version
10. If necessary, write the response twice

Writing better abstracts

As I transition from being a "book person" to an "article person" I've started to think more critically about my writing strategies. Apparently this will also be helpful in guiding PhD students through the process. In a helpful article, Kamler and Thomson explain how to write paper abstracts, in context of the larger process of academic writing as both text work and identity work.

I think we can all benefit from considering our readers and the "So What?" question in more detail.

Things I like about Melbourne...

Collections and product finding

This one is related to the months-ago previous post about curation, but as it went off for a long while in the tv direction, here is a new post just about online searching.

Write to the top!

Another excellent book about writing and research tasks as an academic.