[nabs-l] Fwd: research techniques and assistance

[Karl Martin Adam]

Hi=20Ashley,

I=20would=20actually=20say=20that=20the=20discussion=20section=20of=20an=20=
APA=20
article=20is=20one=20of=20the=20most=20important=20parts.=20=20It=20explain=
s=20the=20
findings=20and=20tells=20you=20what=20the=20authors=20think=20they=20mean=20=
and=20also=20
usually=20gives=20hypotheses=20about=20what=20untested=20variables=20could=
=20be=20
responsible=20for=20the=20data.=20=20I=20typically=20read=20the=20introduct=
ion=20
which=20explains=20what=20the=20authors=20are=20trying=20to=20do,=20the=20m=
ethods=20to=20
see=20if=20I=20think=20the=20research=20is=20even=20valid=20and=20accurate,=
=20skip=20the=20
actual=20data=20(it's=20usually=20presented=20in=20tables=20that=20don't=20=
convert=20
well=20from=20PDF,=20and=20I=20don't=20have=20enough=20knowledge=20of=20sta=
tistics=20to=20
check=20the=20tests=20the=20authors=20ran=20anyway),=20and=20then=20get=20t=
he=20results=20
of=20the=20experiment=20from=20reading=20the=20discussion=20section.=20=20O=
f=20course=20
humanities=20articles=20usually=20have=20to=20be=20read=20from=20beginning=
=20to=20end=20
because=20they=20consist=20of=20a=20sustained=20argument=20not=20discrete=20=

sections.=20=20Also,=20as=20has=20been=20mentioned=20you=20don't=20have=20t=
o=20read=20
that=20much=20of=20the=20article=20depending=20on=20your=20purpose--for=20i=
nstance=20
if=20your=20writing=20a=20review=20of=20methodology=20you=20just=20have=20t=
o=20look=20at=20
the=20methods=20section=20and=20maybe=20the=20introduction.=20=20ANother=20=
tip=20for=20
determining=20if=20an=20article=20is=20relevant=20beyond=20reading=20the=20=
abstract=20
is=20to=20use=20word=20search=20to=20find=20where=20in=20the=20article=20wh=
at=20your=20
topic=20is=20shows=20up=20and=20check=20the=20context--I've=20avoided=20a=20=
bunch=20of=20
irrelevant=20articles=20by=20doing=20that=20when=20I=20saw=20that=20the=20a=
uthors=20are=20
using=20my=20keywords=20to=20talk=20about=20something=20other=20than=20what=
=20I'm=20
researching.=20=20As=20for=20books,=20the=20same=20thing=20applies.=20=20I=
=20read=20the=20
preface=20and=20introduction,=20and=20then=20if=20I=20don't=20want=20to=20r=
ead=20the=20
whole=20thing,=20I=20use=20word=20search=20to=20find=20relevant=20parts.=20=
=20The=20index=20
can=20help=20to,=20but=20often=20something=20I=20want=20to=20find=20in=20a=
=20book=20isn't=20
in=20the=20index.=20=20Magazine=20and=20newspaper=20articles=20are=20often=
=20in=20
certain=20databases,=20and=20a=20lot=20of=20major=20papers=20have=20online=
=20archives=20
often=20even=20in=20HTML=20and=20free=20(for=20example=20the=20New=20York=20=
Times).=20=20
Even=20subscription=20based=20archives=20are=20often=20accessible=20through=
=20
your=20library=20if=20the=20library=20has=20a=20subscription.=20=20You=20ca=
n=20also=20
often=20get=20digital=20copies=20of=20articles=20your=20library=20doesn't=20=
give=20
you=20access=20to=20both=20in=20journals=20and=20popular=20media=20through=
=20
interlibrary=20lone,=20or=20so=20I've=20heard=20(I=20haven't=20actually=20d=
one=20
this,=20but=20I=20know=20people=20who=20have).

best,
Karl

=20-----=20Original=20Message=20-----
From:=20Ashley=20Bramlett=20via=20nabs-l=20<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
To:=20"National=20Association=20of=20Blind=20Students=20mailing=20list"=20
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date=20sent:=20Mon,=2025=20Aug=202014=2023:08:16=20-0400
Subject:=20Re:=20[nabs-l]=20Fwd:=20research=20techniques=20and=20assistance=


Hi=20Katie,
Thanks=20for=20these=20tips.=20I=20will=20try=20out=20your=20tips=20for=20t=
he=20web=20
browsing.
For=20openbook,=20I=20could=20not=20follow=20those=20instructions.=20After=
=20bring=20
up=20the=20open
dialogue=20box=20and=20moving=20the=20file=20type=20to=20pdf,=20I=20could=20=
not=20find=20
the=20file=20when
I=20shift=20tabbed=20to=20my=20file=20list;=20I=20think=20the=20problem=20i=
s=20the=20files=20
are=20in=20the
documents=20folder,=20and=20that's=20not=20an=20option=20=20in=20that=20dia=
logue=20box.=20
Maybe=20if=20I
saved=20the=20pdf=20to=20desktop,=20it=20would=20show=20up=20in=20the=20dia=
logue=20box.
BTW,=20I=20have=20openbook=209.
Wow,=20I=20did=20not=20know=20you=20could=20save=20the=20converted=20=20fil=
e=20to=20other=20
file=20types;
well,=20I=20knew=20of=20word,=20but=20other=20than=20that,=20I=20did=20not=
=20know.

I've=20gotten=20better=20over=20the=20years=20at=20determining=20if=20an=20=
article=20is=20
relevant.
Yes,=20as=20you=20all=20confirmed,=20reading=20abstracts=20is=20key.=20
Introductions=20seem=20to
help=20if=20that's=20provided.

I=20know=20we=20don't=20have=20to=20read=20everything=20in=20the=20cited=20=
article.
The=20challenge=20then,=20is=20=20what=20to=20read?=20I=20know=20it=20depen=
ds=20on=20our=20
subject
matter,=20but=20still,=20its=20hard=20to=20narrow=20down=20which=20sections=
=20to=20
read.
Generally,=20I=20find=20the=20discussion=20section=20and=20implications=20f=
or=20
future
research=20parts=20I=20do=20not=20need.
Those=20articles=20are=20very=20long;=20sometimes=20like=2020=20some=20page=
s.=20It=20
gets=20too=20hard
to=20synthesize=20long=20articles,=20so=20sometimes=20I=20limit=20my=20sear=
ch
to=20a=20certain=20page=20length.

Sometimes=20I=20need=20longer=20length=20=20information,=20especially=20for=
=20
reporting=20life
history=20or=20events.=20In=20this=20case,=20magazine=20articles=20or=20boo=
ks=20or=20
ebooks=20are
best.
This=20is=20challenging.=20I=20usually=20need=20a=20reader=20for=20this.=20=
How=20do=20we=20
know=20if=20a
book=20is=20relevant?=20So=20far,=20we=20look=20at=20the=20front=20material=
=20including=20
book
jacket=20and=20table=20of=20contents.=20But=20sometimes,=20the=20titles=20o=
f=20
chapters=20are=20so
vague,=20they=20are=20nearly=20useless.
Should=20I=20just=20be=20relying=20on=20the=20index=20more?

Abstracts=20are=20good.=20But=20for=20news=20articles=20and=20magazine=20ar=
ticles=20
they=20don't
have=20that.
I=20often=20have=20not=20used=20those=20since=20professors=20need=20scholar=
ly=20peer=20
reviewed
sources,=20but=20if=20not,=20these=20sources=20can=20be=20helpful=20or=20be=
tter=20than=20
database
information.

I=20tend=20to=20read=20the=20beginning=20to=20see=20if=20it=E2=80=99s=20a=20=
relevant=20article.=20
is=20that=20what
you=20all=20do?
Headings=20are=20helpful=20too,=20=20but=20a=20reader=20needs=20to=20find=20=
those=20for=20
me,=20so
again,=20that=20is=20when=20that=20is=20helpful.
Not=20all=20headings=20are=20marked=20so=20jaws=20sees=20them.

I=20never=20worked=20with=20readers=20till=20college,=20and=20still=20am=20=
perfecting=20
the=20skill
of=20directing=20them=20to=20be=20my=20eyes.
It=20seems=20to=20me=20like=20over=20half=20the=20electronic=20=20sources=20=
I=20need=20are
inaccessible=20or=20=20semi=20inaccessible.
If=20anyone=20has=20used=20these=20sources=20successfully,=20how=20did=20it=
=20go?
When=20I=20tried,=20jaws=20did=20not=20read=20the=20page=20and=20in=20the=20=
gale=20
reference=20thing=20I
could=20not=20enter=20in=20the=20search=20box.

Encyclopedia=20britanica
Credo=20reference
Gale=20biography=20in=20context

I'm=20impressed=20you=20all=20seem=20quite=20independent=20=20with=20your=20=
research.=20
I=20have
used=20some=20of=20the=20databases=20independently=20mentioned=20here=20sin=
ce=20its
accessible;=20that=20is,=20once=20the=20librarian=20showed=20me=20which=20b=
oxes=20to=20
fill=20in.
I=20can=20usually=20get=20to=20those=20using=20keyboard=20commands.
But=20databases=20are=20only=20a=20small=20part=20of=20a=20library.

Another=20challenge=20is=20the=20accessibility=20of=20the=20website=20gener=
ally.
Since=20the=20library=20website=20is=20laid=20out=20in=20tabs,=20I=20cannot=
=20even=20get=20
to=20all=20the
links=20I=20need.=20I=20expand=20the=20tab,=20then=20attempt=20to=20click=20=
on=20what=20I=20
want.=20For
instance=20one=20link=20is=20facts,=20reference=20people;=20under=20that=20=
you=20can=20
click=20on
things=20like=20britanica,=20gale=20biography,=20and=20oxford=20dictionary.=
=20
Those=20links
are=20not=20opening=20even=20when=20I=20tried=20right=20clicking=20on=20the=
m.
Oh,=20and=20I=20cannot=20get=20into=20films=20on=20demand=20either;=20somet=
imes,=20
those
documentaries=20prove=20helpful.


Good=20points=20all.=20It=20confirms=20I=20probably=20am=20doing=20most=20t=
hings=20
right=20but
research=20seems=20like=20a=20time=20consuming=20process.=20So=20anything=20=
to=20get=20
better=20at
it=20is=20a=20good=20thing=20to=20know.

Ashley
-----Original=20Message-----
From:=20Katie=20Wang
Sent:=20Monday,=20August=2025,=202014=209:19=20PM
To:=20Ashley=20Bramlett=20;=20National=20Association=20of=20Blind=20Student=
s=20
mailing=20list
Subject:=20Re:=20[nabs-l]=20Fwd:=20research=20techniques=20and=20assistance=


Hi=20Ashley,

Converting=20pdfs=20using=20OpenBook=20is=20very=20straightforward.=20After=
=20you
launch=20OpenBook,=20use=20Control=20o=20to=20bring=20up=20the=20Open=20Fil=
e=20dialog,
change=20the=20file=20type=20to=20Adobe=20pdf,=20then=20select=20the=20file=
=20you=20want=20
to
open.=20Depending=20on=20the=20file=20size,=20the=20conversion=20process=20=
can=20take=20
a
few=20minutes=20(use=20Insert=20Page=20Down=20to=20check=20on=20progress),=
=20and=20once
conversion=20is=20complete=20you=20can=20save=20the=20file=20in=20your=20pr=
eferred=20
format,
such=20as=20.doc,=20.rtf,=20or=20.txt.=20I=20generally=20find=20the=20resul=
ts=20to=20be=20
good
for=20digital=20articles=20(hand-scanned=20materials=20vary=20more=20in=20
quality).=20I
personally=20convert=20most=20of=20the=20pdf=20articles=20I=20use=20for=20r=
esearch;=20I=20
find
it=20much=20easier=20to=20move=20around=20and=20locate=20information=20I=20=
need=20in=20a=20
Word
document=20than=20in=20a=20pdf,=20and=20I=20also=20transfer=20some=20of=20t=
he=20articles=20
to=20my
notetaker=20for=20braille=20access.

As=20for=20the=20web=20browser=20commands,=20the=20hotkey=20n=20can=20somet=
imes=20take=20
you
past=20the=20navigation=20links=20to=20the=20main=20text.=20Also,=20you=20c=
an=20turn=20
off
heading=20announcements=20by=20pressing=20Insert=20v=20then=20arrow=20down=
=20to=20
Heading
and=20Frame=20Options.

Like=20others,=20I=20agree=20that=20research=20is=20something=20that=20take=
s=20a=20lot=20
of
practice=20for=20both=20blind=20and=20sighted=20people=20alike.=20I=20also=
=20believe=20
that,
once=20you=20are=20fairly=20well-acquainted=20with=20your=20topic,=20you=20=
should=20
be
able=20to=20get=20a=20pretty=20good=20sense=20of=20whether=20an=20article=20=
is=20relevant=20
by
just=20reading=20the=20abstract.=20It=20is=20important=20to=20keep=20in=20m=
ind=20that=20
you=20do
not=20need=20to=20read=20every=20word=20of=20all=20your=20citations;=20inst=
ead,=20you=20
should
focus=20on=20parts=20of=20each=20article=20that=20are=20most=20applicable=20=
to=20your
research=20topic.=20If=20you=20are=20using=20a=20journal=20article=20to=20s=
upport=20a
theoretical=20point,=20for=20example,=20reading=20the=20introduction=20and
conclusion=20sections=20might=20be=20most=20helpful;=20in=20contrast,=20if=
=20you=20
are
looking=20for=20an=20example=20of=20a=20particular=20research=20paradigm,=20=
then=20
you
might=20want=20to=20focus=20on=20the=20section=20describing=20study=20metho=
ds=20and
designs.=20As=20a=20psychologist,=20I=20primarily=20work=20with=20PsycInfo=
=20and=20
Google
Scholar,=20which=20are=20both=20accessible.

Best,
Katie


On=208/25/14,=20Ashley=20Bramlett=20via=20nabs-l=20<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>=20wr=
ote:
=20Kirt=20and=20all,
=20Well,=20I=20have=20found=20numerous=20accessibility=20issues=20with=20fi=
les=20from
=20publishers.
=20Its=20in=20pdf.=20I=20have=20my=20accessibility=20settings=20set.
=20Still,=20issues.

=20Dss=20will=20get=20=20publisher=20files=20for=20me.=20How=20do=20you=20u=
se=20
coursesmart?=20If=20you
=20have=20to=20be=20online=20all=20the=20time,=20not=20a=20good=20idea=20fo=
r=20me=20as=20
sometimes=20my
=20wifi

=20at=20home=20is=20spotty.

=20The=20issues=20with=20pdfs=20are=20the=20words=20are=20smashed=20togethe=
r,=20jaws=20
says=20grapic
=20in

=20the=20middle=20of=20text,=20and=20some=20words=20are=20broken=20up.

=20I've=20always=20prefered=20human=20readers=20because=20although=20they=20=
make=20
mistakes=20on
=20occasion,=20they=20are=20not=20monotone=20and=20I=20can=20get=20the=20ma=
terial=20with=20
out=20the
=20struggle=20of=20understanding=20a=20broken=20worded=20file.
=20I=20could=20not=20live=20without=20learning=20ally.=20=20but=20with=20th=
is,=20I=20have=20
to=20plan=20in
=20advance=20to=20have=20people=20look=20up=20the=20index
=20for=20me=20for=20certain=20topics.=20Then=20with=20the=20pages,=20I=20ca=
n=20go=20to=20
those=20pages=20on
=20my=20daisy=20recording=20easily=20with=20the=20go=20to=20page=20function=