Notes

Outline

Using Orbis Productivity, Recall, Integration Dr. Mark D. Szuchman Department of History, FIU Spring 2003

Introduction This presentation is designed to fill in and add to the tutorial that comes with Orbis. Users will gain enormously from going through the tutorial. This presentation will enhance your ease of use.

What is Orbis? Orbis is…  the means to finding all the data you spent so much time entering… the way to represent visually how your mind “reads” the material… the mechanism to relate concepts and terms… the lens for understanding context and meaning in qualitative data.

You will use Orbis because… no extra effort is involved: you’ve already written the notes… you’ll never wonder about what you’ve named -- or where you’ve saved -- a file… it doesn’t matter how far back you read the material or how far into the future you’ll be using it… and because it’s a course requirement.

Query view Use the Query View to search for a term or a combination of terms (and, or, complex formulas). List the frequency of term usage – map the way you think. Exploit @/# keywords and synonyms. Search a term directly from a document (while cursor is on the term): Ctl-Sh-F or click in the document, Edit, Find Word (Orbis).

@/# keywords and synonyms @/# keywords to conceptualize encapsulate summarize retrieve powerfully make connections Synonyms to exploit your interests expand data start big and distill increase control

Using @/# keywords (1) Enter @/# keywords as labels (lb) anywhere (optimally, ahead of related text). E.g.: F9 Type: lb [space] @[keyword] E.g.: lb @sibling F10 Note: one keyword per label, no limit on number of labels.

Using @/# keywords (2) @/# keywords do not show in printouts. @/# keywords do not normally show on screen – must click on Display Format Markers. @/# keywords show in the Query View under their own list, but will be found anywhere in the documents.

Using Synonyms (1) Orbis’ Synonyms tool provides you with the equivalent of your own thesaurus: head word, then alternate meanings. All passages containing synonyms will be retrieved with only one query. Note: add the power of the asterisk (*) to the synonyms. E.g.: militar* will stand for military, militarism, militaristic, etc.

Using Synonyms (2) NB comes with a built-in synonym file, ready for you to add head words and synonyms: NBWin\Users\Default\nborbis.nex Click on: Edit, Synonym List, Edit In the dialogue box, click on: Edit, then type the head word (in the small left box), then type synonyms (in the larger right box, each separated by a space When finished typing synonyms, click Add, OK, then OK again

Results View (1) Select the view that best suits your preferences Click on View and make selections (note: I recommend choosing Horizontal Split and Files and Folders). Click on right arrow along blue-colored slider to go to next passage containing a “find.”

Results View (2) You can view contexts; i.e. paragraphs above and below the paragraph containing the “find.” Results View presents several pairs of left and right arrows along the bottom. Use the rightmost pair at the bottom to view the paragraphs – if any -- above the “find” (left arrow) or below the “find” (right arrow). Use the pair of arrows immediately to the left to show the next or previous instances of the “find” – if any – in the same paragraph. Leftmost pair of arrows zooms text (default is 100%).

Results View (3) Orbis can also take you to the file containing a particular “find” and open it in NB for further viewing/editing: Select the “find” you want. Click on Retrieve, Open File Containing Match. Orbis will alert you that it will be closed down in order to open the file in NB. Click OK.

Gathering your notes Gather all your “finds” in a single file for viewing or printing: Click Retrieve, Save All Matches To File Fill in your preferences in the dialogue Orbis will produce a file you can save. This is the equivalent of gathering all your notes from all different sources into one pile for subsequent reference.

Search histories Retrieve previous searches without re-entering queries. Orbis keeps track of all searches Previous searches can be re-called and re-used Click on: Retrieve, Search History, click on item, Go To…

Putting it together Using Orbis changes the way you think about your reading and process qualitative data. You will take notes with a new awareness of the possibilities. You will not be limited by your own memory. You will save enormous time searching materials. You will become a more careful analyst. You will stop treating your computer as a glorified (and expensive) typewriter. You will gain a new appreciation for what a word processor can add to your productivity (NB).