[nabs-l] research methods

Thu Oct 30 22:59:06 UTC 2008

Ashley,
In OpenBook there is a feature call the freedom Import printer that is analogous to the virtual printer for converting PDFs in kurzweil. Basically, just pull the file up in Adobe then select to print the file and then you select freedom import printer from the list of printers and hit print. Ther is also a skim reading feature available in OpenBook, but I don't recall the exact steps for using it at the moment but just look through the menus. Hope that helps.

Dezman

-----Original Message-----
From: Ashley  Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 7:54 AM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] research methods

Corbb,

I like your idea to read the first few paragraphs and last few paragraphs of 
the article.  I've done that with a reader.  I know jaws can go by paragraph 
in word as well.  I think I'll use your strategy of one document
for each source.  My note files are big and then I often don't know what 
notes came from wich source even though I label it on top before writing. 
Its just that when reading further down in the document I forget what source 
it is.  If its named at the top of the document maybe this will help.

I don't use Kurzweil but do have Openbook.  Is there a similar feature in 
it?  If so how do you use it?  Many database files are in PDF.

Ashley

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Corbb O'Connor" <corbbo at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 9:54 AM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] research methods

> This will be brief because I am running to class in a moment. If you
> use Kurzweil, I open the articles in Adobe Reader, then print to "KESI
> Virtual Printer"--installed when you install K1000. The page numbers
> then appear at the top or bottom of the Kurzweil pages, as those are
> printed on each page of the journal. There's an option in K1000 to
> "review" or "skim" or something like that -- basically it reads the
> first sentence of each paragraph. I read the first few paragraphs of
> the article, the last few paragraphs of the article, and the first
> sentence of each paragraph. That usually tells me whether the article
> will be helpful -- if so, then I find parts that seemed of use and
> read those.
>
> I use a magnification program, not JAWS, so I am not sure about
> database accessbility.
>
> I am trying a new strategy for notes -- a new Word document for each
> source, and then later blend those together into an outline of quotes,
> paraphrases, etc. Then it's writing time!
>
> Good luck.
> Corbb
>
> On Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 2:09 AM, Serena <serenacucco at verizon.net> wrote:
>> I used the library data bases.  Proquest Direct and Ebscohost are pretty
>> accessible.  If the articles were relatively short, I read them all the 
>> way
>> through with Jaws, but if they were really long, I used readers.  The
>> librarians often helped me find books.  That often helped, so I wouldn't
>> have to use readers for that.
>>
>> Serena
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ashley Bramlett"
>> <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
>> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 9:14 PM
>> Subject: [nabs-l] research methods
>>
>>
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> I wanted some more ideas on this.  Then I'll have a sheet with ideas for
>>> myself and others wo ask me.  I am about to begin a big research paper 
>>> for
>>> my senior class.  All seniors do this to demonstrate critical thinking,
>>> organization and writing skills.  Research has been quite challenging. 
>>> I
>>> use readers a lot but its hard to communicate what I am looking for. 
>>> Much
>>> research is at the library and books and some other matterial is not
>>> accessible.  So my questions.
>>>
>>> Do you use your school's databases?  What ones are jaws friendly?  Its
>>> been my experience that databases are not very accessible.  There are 
>>> lots
>>> of boxes and info before jaws reads the titles of articles.  In an 
>>> article
>>> I'm sure you read the abstract first to determine relevance.  I do as 
>>> wel.
>>>
>>> How do you skim the article for relevant info?  Or perhaps you read it
>>> all?  Scholarly articles are big, about twenty pages long on average 
>>> from my
>>> experience. With jaws or a reader, skipping info is hard since I don't 
>>> know
>>> what I'm looking for exactly.
>>> How do you cite pages?  Does someone read you the page numbers as well?
>>> This has been problematic for me.  I write notes but don't know later 
>>> what
>>> page it was on and cannot skim the article for that info.
>>>
>>> Have you used the librarians for help?  If so, what role did they play?
>>> Did you ask them to search for you and they read you the titles of
>>> articles/books?  I have used them and they pointed me to the right 
>>> databases
>>> and card catalog for books but also served as a reader sort of as we
>>> gathered info.
>>>
>>> I find research frustrating when you think something sounds great and 
>>> read
>>> it but then its not so good.  I think this happens to all students, but
>>> since it takes longer for us its more frustrating.
>>>
>>> Any ideas are appreciated.
>>>
>>> Ashley
>>>
>>>
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>>
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