academic reading

[uk elephant]

all you academics out there....how do you cope with reading lots of papers/pdfs/books? Do you read on the computer? Print them out? or use an electronic reader thingy?

I'm getting frustrated by being chained to the computer all day, but feel too guilty about printing out reams of paper just to read. I prefer reading articles/books on paper because I can pick them up, scribble notes or highlight things, lean back in my chair, wander over to a coffee shop for a bit, sit outside in the sun (on the rare occasion when it appears and is warm enough). Anybody have a good (and affordable solution)? or do I just need to wait a few more years for the technology to catch up?

[Melalvai]

I read most everything online. Rarely I'll print out a paper. I think a kindle would be awfully nice.

[MartianDestiny]

I print more than I would like to. I just can't effectively read 10+ page articles on a computer. My eyes strain, I can't focus, I can't effectively mark on it, etc.

Smaller articles or articles I'm just glancing through anyway I'll read on the computer. Sometimes I'll even use Adobe or Preview to highlight stuff, but it's slower than printing it and using a real highlighter.

[Trek420]

I'm not an academic type unless that's a hereditary trait but whenever studying I print more than I'd like. I read hard copy on the train, on breaks at work, on the couch, sometimes even on the trainer.

However I recycle more than most anyone I know (except maybe your grandma). Once it's read and absorbed to my brain cells if I don't actually need to file it papers get recycled or even re-used as scratch paper and then recycled ....

Since I buy recycled paper products (yes, even the TP) it's used several times.

I don't feel so bad

[Crankin]

I think this is a generational thing, but I cannot read more than a page or two on line. Although this year, I don't have as much reading to do for my program as last year, I admit, I print out all of the articles. How else could I highlight and make notes for myself? Since this is a reading strategy that good readers do, I can't see how I could do it on the computer.
I keep all of the articles from my classes, but I guess if I ever feel the need, I would put them in my weekly recycling.

[Owlie]

I think this is a generational thing, but I cannot read more than a page or two on line.

No, it's not. It strains my eyes. I print almost everything I have to read, as it also lets me highlight and write notes. To save paper and ink, I'll print it as multiple pages per sheet if it's a PDF and the font size works. I'll reuse the paper unless it's something I need to keep (handouts for class with notes on them, syllabus, etc).

[shootingstar]

I read much more efficiently and faster when I read print documents that are over approx. 15+ pgs. long.

Not only I can markup a useful article..but it's easier to BROWSE a lengthy document to get to certain sections faster since tables of contents or hypertext links in pdf file can be inhibiting for efficient serendiptuous browsing, locating a certain section within a chapter faster.

I have tried to print off sections of long .pdf /WORD documents, even if it means inadvertedly printing off an extra pg. or 2 at beginning of print job because I've miscalculated the start and end portions of report that I wanted to print off.

We have to be realistic with our human eye limitations for electronic...have you ever tried to look at a complex engineering drawing 32" x 24" size pdf with multiple colours and codes --in its totality without it falling off the computer screen? Human brain often needs to look at information fragments/sections --within broader context.

Observing information users as a librarian after several decades of dealing directly with user feedback on various database products with full text e-docs. and print equivalents, I tend to certain say that in organizations that want to be 75% electronic.. but before the end of the business day, several people have printed off the same document in 1 day..even if they only need 50% of the lengthy doc. for content comprehension.

[shootingstar]

Had the nearly laughable experience where I was trying to evaluate in totality all new publications from a large, multi-party publisher. So I went into their database which covers over 30 other sub-publishers for 20 different topics.

I had to execute separate database searches to even get a list under a topic ....since this publisher has hundreds of titles in its inventory. I would have to check under 90% of its topics. Already wasted a few min. for each fuller database record to open so that I read the new book content summary for me to even make an assessment.

I was angry and frustrated...it was a waste of 2 hrs. of time as a manager. So I ordered their free 250+ pg. print catalogue so I could plan collections development for the library and look at my budget. At least, I could quickly flip pages, jump around within the print catalogue and quickly browse to make my decisions.

Moral: There are different situations that do require print vs. electronic. It isn't always our human limitation fault. Online books don't really allow the degree of freewheeling browsing.

[GLC1968]

We just bought my mom a Kindle for her birthday. I got a chance to check it out briefly before she took it home (when they were visiting) and man, it's slick! We didn't get her the newest version because she'll mostly be using it for pleasure reading and the old one had all the options she wanted. Apparently you can highlight and make notes as you read. It is surprisingly thin and comfortable to hold. The text is way easier on the eyes than a computer monitor. Honestly, if I was still in school and could justify it, I'd get one for myself. As a student, it would have been wonderful to put all the research I needed into one slim little thing like the kindle instead of having to lug around HUGE backpacks full of books!

Most of the research I do, I do online. I read it there, too. I only print things out when I need to travel and then I only print sections that I need. I just take notes in a notebook instead of on the documents themselves (something I got in the habit of doing ages ago since I did a lot of library research for my degrees).

For pleasure reading, I like paper books. I would HATE to sit in front of a computer for my leisure time since I do it all day for work. Of course, who has time for pleasure reading?

[WindingRoad]

I hate to but I have to print. I have a muscle imbalance in my eyes and reading off the computer screen exacerbates it. After an hour my head will start pounding. I do what everyone else does, print both sides, recycle paper, use old paper to print the backside. It's still VERY expensive. I use my inkjet b/c the university printers suck! My papers have a lot of scientific readouts of different sorts and I can't even tell what they are showing if I use the on campus printers. Plus a lot of them are color coded and there are only a couple of color print stations on campus so for convenience sake I just print at home and continue to dish out for ink I soooooooooo feel your pain, I have an inner struggle with the print or not to print dilemma daily.

[Geonz]

Consider that Back In The Day all that stuff would have been printed out in journals and they'd be waved over that xerographic mo-sheen, feeding it quarters and dimes.

I've been known to put "two pages per sheet" and print on both sides.

I struggled with how to take notes because typing spoiled my desire to handwrite note cards... and then I discovered I could make powerpoint slides and print out nine per page and work 'em the same way (spread 'em out on all available flat surfaces...)