From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: tsd@tsdye.com (Thomas S. Dye) Subject: Re: how do scientists use org mode? Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:35:18 -1000 Message-ID: References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Return-path: Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([140.186.70.92]:33088) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1Rqait-0007u2-Jc for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:35:28 -0500 Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1Rqais-0005Pl-0t for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:35:27 -0500 Received: from oproxy8-pub.bluehost.com ([69.89.22.20]:40552) by eggs.gnu.org with smtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1Rqair-0005PU-MP for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:35:25 -0500 In-Reply-To: (GMX Christoph's message of "Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:21:33 +0100") List-Id: "General discussions about Org-mode." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sender: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org To: GMX Christoph 13 Cc: emacs-orgmode@gnu.org Aloha Christoph, Welcome to Org Mode. I'm an archaeologist who has found Org mode to be a great help in my scientific work. I use it as a laboratory notebook, a project planner, a platform for carrying out statistical analyses, and a tool for putting together compendia for reproducible research projects. I prefer to put everything for one project in a project-specific Org mode file, with a structure something like this: * Introduction * Results * Conclusions * Laboratory notebook :noexport * Project plan :noexport * Statistical analysis :noexport In this hypothetical example, the first three headlines hold the publication, which will be exported to LaTeX. The last three headlines are not exported, but set up spaces to accomplish different kinds of work. In one case, I use the publication facility of Org mode to create a web site that tracks a long running data entry project. Blocks of R code summarize the data entry with tables and graphs. I update this periodically so that the members of the team can see where we're at and spot data entry errors. I don't make anywhere near full use of Org Mode's capabilities, but find that I am (by my own standards, at least) insanely productive in this environment. It is flexible enough that I feel free to add information, knowing I can reorganize later without difficulty. It is structured enough that I don't waste time looking for things. Even at the early stages of a project, when the best organization hasn't crystallized yet, it is easy enough to identify bits and pieces so they can be easily found later. hth, Tom GMX Christoph 13 writes: > Hi > this is my first post here and although I am evaluating org mode with great interest, I am also asking myself in which way other scientists are making use of org mode. It will take a while to get my head around how to accomplish certain things in org mode but for the moment I am intrigued by *why* one would want to approach the problem of organizing one's research with org mode and in which way. > Are you putting exclusively your todos in, well, your todo file and perhaps keep project-related things, such as data and progress, notes, ideas etc. somewhere else? Or do you embed your notes and todos within their original context, i.e. is org mode your one-stop solution for data management? Do you maintain a separate file for every major project you are responsible for or involved in or throw everything into one or few humungous files and differentiate using hierarchies and tags? > In the past I have hit some road blocks not so much with other softwares but rather concepts such as GTD, which I think is tailored to the needs of people outside science, so I would deeply appreciate your views and experience. > > If this list is geared towards the proximate aspects of development and less towards philosophy of usage, I apologize > > Christoph > -- Thomas S. Dye http://www.tsdye.com