Diigo SB site and an Action Researcher's Tool?

For those new to bookmarking and social networking you may ask, "What is Diigo?" For those who are experienced social bookmarkers and experiment with digg, Del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, and the many other bookmarking sites such as the 125 Social Bookmarking sites addressed here.  Diigo 5.0 provides some updates that you can use, regardless of your platform selection, and adaptable to a variety of audiences.
Read more about the Diigo 5.0 updates on their blog.

My favorite of the latest updates:

The new Android phone application called “Diigo Power Note” is being released as a part of Diigo 5.0, which enables Android phone users to collect, organize, sync and access a variety of information such as bookmarks, notes, and pictures. So you can jot down or speak your ideas and thoughts, and take pictures of things you like to be reminded to buy or research later, or business cards handed to you. With Diigo Power Note, you literally have a photographic memory.

Information on how to download and install Diigo Power Note is available here. You can use the QR code and a bar scanner to be directed to the app or visit the Market on your Android phone and search for Diigo. The latest update to Diigo's Power Note adds Speech to Text and SMS functionality.

So my new challenge is to use it to supplement the research for my dissertation whenever and wherever the opportunities arise. While this app may not be for everyone, I believe it should be a staple for individuals conducting any type of action research and particularly those pursuing degrees in fields of educational and instructional technology.


As with any changes to apps, systems, user interfaces, implementing the new tool will make it a habit. Whether you use Diigo as an educator, for personal and/or professional reasons you can see the opportunities to collaborate and gain the perspective the Blind Men and the Elephant on a research project, share the different perspectives, then have an archive for future reference.


Read more about Diigo on the About Us site. The evolution of Diigo:

Another Diigo favorite is Awesome Screenshot: Capture & Annotate by Diigo (3162) - 115,502 users - Weekly installs: 44,955 Capture the whole page or any portion, annotate it with rectangles, circles, arrows, lines and text, one-click upload to share.Check out all of the Chrome Extensions.


Do you have a favorite social bookmarking and screen capture and annotate tool? Whether you are a student in life, a formal classroom at any level, a community volunteer, the family data collector, what are your favorite social bookmarking and screen capture and annotate tools and sites?

Comments, recommendations, and shared knowledge are always welcome.

Research Strategies and Twitter Connections

As I come to a close on my latest course, Research Strategies, I wanted to share a few Twitter connections I discovered which are not mentioned in a syllabus or in the online classroom. Online libraries and databases can be intimidating to students new to the online learning environment so I thought I would share the Twitter connections I discovered while waiting for these online libraries or databases to produce the results for my key words.

As a seasoned online student, I have to give props to EBSCOhost. Of all the online databases used in this course, EBSCOhost has improved the most over the years. Options for storing notes, export citations to Bibliographic Manager, and offering different formats for citations.

The options to export citations to the Bibliographic Manager are:

Save citations to a file formatted for:

Direct Export to EndNote, ProCite, or Reference Manager

Direct Export to EndNote Web

Generic bibliographic management software

Citations in BibTeX format

Citations in MARC21 format

Direct Export to RefWorks

The formatting options for citations by EBSCOhost are:

AMA - Reference List

APA - References

Chicago/Turabian - Author/Date - Reference List

Chicago/Turabian - Humanities - Bibliography

MLA - Works Cited

Vancouver/ICMJE Style - References

Now for the Twitter connections to the different online databases and the public websites associated with the source:

@credoreference - Customizable general reference solution for learners and librarians.

@EBSCOPublishing - Service provider of e-journal, e-book and e-journal package, print subscriptions, e-resource management tools, full-text, secondary databases, and services for all types of libraries and research organizations.

@LNAcademic - LexisNexis Academic - Research references and for libraries worldwide.

@OCLC - Online Computer Library Center

@ProQuest - Creates specialized information resources and technologies that propel successful research, discovery, and lifelong learning.

@RefWorks - Creates tools for faculty, researchers, students, and librarians that enhance and enrich the process of discovery and research.

@safaribooks - Safari Books Online - Depending on your school or employer your access may vary. Free trials are available.

@SAGEeducation - A leading international publisher of books and resources for education professionals.

@worldcatorg - The largest network of library content and services.

*The list is alphabetical, not based on any rating system, personal preference or priority.

This post is meant to share information that I wish was available when I started the Research Strategies course. I do not suggest that the Twitter connections replace your online library resources, but provide a supplementary means to keep informed of scheduled updates/outages, knowing whether a particular resource is available with a mobile app, connecting to a source on Twitter (or other social networks), being able to search FAQs or connect with someone who can provide real time information about your school's connection with a particular online database or service and to improve your awareness of the tools available today.

If you have additional resources to share or recommendations, please leave a comment, shared knowledge empowers us all.

Books for next course

My next course, Research Strategies, requires three textbooks. If you have used these books, have an opinion, or a favorite textbook source, please leave a comment. As a grad student and a parent of a college freshman, we check out all sources for textbooks from used bookstores, online textbook rental sites, Google books, and college book swap sites because the college bookstores are overpriced. If you have a favorite textbook site or source, please share it as a comment.

Research Strategies for a Digital Age
Tensen, Bonnie L.
Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing; 3 Edition - June 9, 2009

The Craft of Research
Booth, Wayne C., Colomb, Gregory G., & Williams, Joseph M.
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 3 Edition - April 15, 2008

And of course the infamous APA Manual 5th edition...but the 6th edition is available on the same day my class starts. But it is OK...Adapt, implement, and overcome...just reformat a template as required by the standards.