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Submitted by WayneK on 2015/10/13 15:10

This is a follow up to my previous post about using search filters. I'd like advice on how to organize a research project.

I'm entering the original research material in a text column, accompanied by additional columns for bibliographic info etc. A key part of the research is being able to sort the text by different subject categories. I've been creating a separate column for each subject category and using that to filter the views. That allows me to see all the text on a given subject while filtering out all irrelevant text.

While I was figuring out the search function in my previous post, I realized there was a different way to accomplish the same thing. I could create a single keyword column and enter all my subject categories in that one column. To view all the info on a given topic, I could then use the search>filter approach to see just the relevant text.

Does anyone know of a reason to favor one approach over another in IQ? The keyword appears to be more economical because you don't have to manage dozens and dozens of columns. It would also make it easier to see what topics each snippet has been assigned to because the keywords will be right next to it (rather than having to look over to a long list of column assignments in the property pane).

I guess one advantage of the column approach is that I could filter by multiple columns at the same time. That might be more difficult using keywords (but I guess I could use boolean and/or searches).

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks, Wayne

Comments

For me the main disadvantage would be the inability to assign more than one category. However, rather than having dozens of columns for your categories, you could reduce the number of columns to the maximum assignments you would create for your research. Each column would contain all your categories, but you could now have multiple assignments. Of course if you are strict about one category per item, then use a single column.

Jon

Sony Vaio Z, Intel Core i7, 8 GB RAM, 800 GB SSD

Windows 7 Professional 64 bit

[quote=Jon]

Each column would contain all your categories, but you could now have multiple assignments.

[/quote]

Yup, this is one way of doing this.

To have the same list in all your category columns, you can use a list of items pop-up list. See -- link to nonexistent node ID 294 -- section 3 for details.

Yes, if you could only use one category per item, it would be useless, but I don't know why that would be the case. Why can't you put multiple keywords in the same cell and be able to search on any one of them? I just tried it, and it seemed to work fine.

I think I'm not understanding what you're saying with the multiple assignments. Could you explain it further?

Are you talking about doing "or" searches where the results match either of two keywords?

Wayne

Win 7, 64 bit Cyberpower Model 1, C Series (2011) 16 GB RAM

27" Samsung S27A350H, 24" ASUS VW242H 1920x1080

I'm thinking that for the sake of organizational consistency, you would use a drop down list. If you do this, then you are limited to one category per item because you cannot invoke multiple selections. If you are entering categories manually into a text column, then yes, you could do what you describe. But column filters become a mess.

Jon

Sony Vaio Z, Intel Core i7, 8 GB RAM, 800 GB SSD

Windows 7 Professional 64 bit

[quote=Jon]

But column filters become a mess

[/quote]

True, one is then left with Ctrl + G

[quote=Jon]

[/quote]

I'll give my opinion since I'm an organizational maniac.

Of course, when fields will allow multiple selections, it will help solving those kinds of problems. In the mean time, I find that

1- It's usually better to keep functionally related keywords in one column : easier to filter, easier to see at a glance all the keywords you used, etc.

2- It's still good to use multiple columns for keywords/tags, providing the columns have different functions, have different meaning; e.g. one for theme/subject tags, the other one for context classification tags, an other one for verification tags, etc. (those are just examples)

3- You can keep typological/terminological consistency by using some text expanding software to manage tags/categories, etc. After many years of struggling, I've found that it's the best all around solution. That way, you have a typological/tagging system that can be used anywhere. (I use AHK to manage all my tags)

-------------------------------------------------------

Windows 8.1

Sony Vaio S Series 13 (SVS131E21L)

Ram:8gb, CPU: Intel i5-3230M, 2.6ghz

[quote=Armando]

Of course, when fields will allow multiple selections, it will help solving those kinds of problems.

[/quote]

This discussion has prompted me to look at adding this feature to grids... I'll keep IQUsers posted if I can include this in v59.

[quote=Pierre_Admin]

This discussion has prompted me to look at adding this feature to grids... I'll keep IQUsers posted if I can include this in v59.

[/quote]

That would be a very welcome addition Pierre. I had asked in the Ultra Recall forum for multiple selection for years. This was for keywords. Kinook finally included it and it had been a BIG improvement.

Not sure, but I might have asked for that here too.

Thanks.

Jon

Sony Vaio Z, Intel Core i7, 8 GB RAM, 800 GB SSD

Windows 7 Professional 64 bit

[quote=Jon]

I had asked in the Ultra Recall forum for multiple selection for years. This was for keywords. Kinook finally included it and it had been a BIG improvement.

[/quote]

Interesting. I didn't know that.

I can't find the documentation either on-line:

http://www.kinook.com/UltraRecall/Manual/

If you have some info, that would help me a lot

Pierre_Admin

Copied from the forum notes on the update:

Version 5.2
Released on April 30, 2015

Updated on May 19, 2015 (UltraRecall.exe 5.2.0.2 in Help | About)*

Download Now

New Features
Option to select multiple attribute values (Tools | Attributes | Properties).
3-pane outliner enhancements: 1) Option for whether to show leaf items in tree (Tools | Options | Trees)+; 2) Option to show expandable indicator in Related Items pane to indicate items with children (Tools | Options | Grids)+; 3) When items are selected in the Child Items pane, Go | Up One Level selects the item's parent in the tree instead of the grandparent.
Command to create keyword for selected text (Item | Keyword Selected Text on the menu).
Commands to change rich text editor or web browser zoom level (View | Zoom on the menu).

Enhancements
Item locking: Support multiple selection.
Option to specify separator character when copying forms (Edit | Copy Form with form focused) -- see http://kinook.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=5097.+
Option to specify separator character when copying grids and attributes (Edit | Copy Grid Values with Related Items pane focused or Edit | Copy All Attributes with Item Attributes pane focused) -- see http://kinook.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=5097.
Syntax editor: Colorize .bld files as HTML/XML.

Bug Fixes

Leaf items not showing in tree in Standard edition.*[5.2.0.2]
UR Firefox extension prevented Firefox from starting.*[5.2.0.1]
Outlook sync: During daylight saving time, adjust for dates in standard time.*+[5.2.0.1]
CSV import: 1) Support time attributes; 2) Use regional settings when importing dates.*+[5.2.0.1]
Errors or hangs could occur when pasting into the rich edit view with Office 2013 installed (uncheck Install rich edit control with table support when installing) -- see http://www.kinook.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=2853.
Access violation could occur when syncing stored document.
Edit | Paste Special | Paste Rich Text/Paste Rich Text with Titles and Outlook import: Child items not always displayed properly in tree without refresh.+
System attributes not editable when Attribute Properties dialog shown from Item Attributes pane.

+ = Professional edition only

Sony Vaio Z, Intel Core i7, 8 GB RAM, 800 GB SSD

Windows 7 Professional 64 bit

OK, I see. I don't think they updated their on-line help file though as it does not show this option

Correct.

Sony Vaio Z, Intel Core i7, 8 GB RAM, 800 GB SSD

Windows 7 Professional 64 bit

[quote=Pierre_Admin]

[quote=Armando]

Of course, when fields will allow multiple selections, it will help solving those kinds of problems.

[/quote]

This discussion has prompted me to look at adding this feature to grids... I'll keep IQUsers posted if I can include this in v59.[/quote]

+1 to this being a great improvement -

I was looking for this for a long time for wikitags, (but use them very little now).

Something like the field selection in the add entry dialogue?

Yes, a big upvote from me, too. I think this has been discussed before. This one feature was my primary reason for looking into Zoot at one point.

This is probably a "duh" but I'm presuming the cell will display the categories that have been selected for each item.

Wayne

Win 7, 64 bit Cyberpower Model 1, C Series (2011) 16 GB RAM

27" Samsung S27A350H, 24" ASUS VW242H 1920x1080

Yes it will.

[quote]This one feature was my primary reason for looking into Zoot at one point[/quote]

Zoot has this feature ?

Do you have a screen shot of the visuals ?

Took me a minute because I haven't used Zoot in a while. This is where you set up the multi-pick list and enter the values:

Picking the column values in the outline view:

What it looks like after you've picked the values:

I think it would be more effective to have the picked values displayed in a list in the cell with a separate line for each value (rather than a single line with values separated by commas, as Zoot does it).

Wayne

Win 7, 64 bit Cyberpower Model 1, C Series (2011) 16 GB RAM

27" Samsung S27A350H, 24" ASUS VW242H 1920x1080

Multi-select editor is now implemented for the WikiTag field. This will be generalized to other fields in the next version.

Available in v0.9.26PreRel59, soon to be released !

[quote=Pierre_Admin]

Multi-select editor is now implemented for the WikiTag field. This will be generalized to other fields in the next version.

Available in v0.9.26PreRel59, soon to be released !

[/quote]

Great!!

-------------------------------------------------------

Windows 8.1

Sony Vaio S Series 13 (SVS131E21L)

Ram:8gb, CPU: Intel i5-3230M, 2.6ghz