How do people implement user notes in their study?

[Bret Hicks]

I am new to using user notes. I had not used them in the past, but as I have accumulated more and more resources within Accordance, they look like they would be useful.

 

But this brought up the question of how some of you have actually implemented user notes in your own study. Specifically I was wondering about several things:

 

1. Do you use different user note files for each book or passage, or a single note file for the whole Bible? Why?

 

2. With Accordance 11, are you now using a single note film for both biblical texts and also for commentaries and other tools? Why or why not?

 

3. Do you also use user tools? If so, what causes you to opt for a user tool for a specific note or task rather than using a user note?

 

Any help as I get started would be greatly appreciated!

 

 

[Julia Falling]

Bret –

 

1. & 2. I have a single User Notes file. I do it for the sake of simplicity. If I move to another passage, or to a tool, I don't want to have to wade through a list of User Notes files to find the right one.

 

3. I do use User Tools, but not as extensively. I created a Prayer & Bible Reading Journal template that I customize for each year. That is used & added-to daily.

 

Were I a preacher (I'm not and never will be), I would probably use a separate User Notes file for sermons.

 

The stuff in my Notes: a clip from a Tool; a reminder to check a particular Tool (where I've usually highlighted the pertinent parts); word study info; grammar info; textual variants; an occasional rant if I'm responding (reacting?) to something 'out there' that intersects Scripture or theology. Some notes contain info from web searches on people, places, or topics. There are pronunciations of some people and place names, too. The whole gamut.

 

I have certain go-to places where I park cross references. I put references to God's sovereignty @Job 42:2, for instance, and references to election @Eph 1:4. Those are places I can remember, so I know to go there to find the info I'm looking for.

 

One of the wonderful things about the User Notes is that there are no space limitations. Even wide margin Bibles are inadequate. And what is one to do if one has studied further and changed one's view? In Accordance it's an easy fix. In a print Bible, not so much.

 

One of the other wonderful things about the notes is that it saves me from having to study out the same issue over and over again. I study it, record what I learn. I may revise or supplement later, but I don't have to completely redo.

Edited December 2, 2014 by Julie Falling

[Lorinda H. M. Hoover]

Bret,

 

I use both User Notes and User Tools. Before Accordance 11, I had several notes files for different purposes, about half of which don't see much current use.

 

With Accordance 11, I've streamlined to 3 User Notes files in regular use (not including one I downloaded from the exchange):

-Lorinda's translations: I try to discipline myself to translate my preaching text each week; I type my translations into a User Note

-Lorinda's LXX translations: With Old Testament texts, I sometimes translate both the Hebrew and the Greek (LXX) This file keeps my LXX translations

-Lorinda's Notes: This is where I keep any non-translation notes; since Accordance 11, this includes both notes on the Biblical text and any tools, although so far I have only taken notes on tools to test the feature.

 

For preaching, funeral, Bible Study preparation and the like, I use User Tools, not User Notes. I tried using User Notes for preaching prep for a time, but I found it didn't work as well for me. I often want to include information that addresses more than one verse and/or looks at the pericope (reading) as a whole. I also wanted to be able to structure my notes around more than just verse order. For example, my template for sermon prep includes sections on context, intertextuality, original language notes, external links and resources, etc. User Notes won't accommodate this, but User Tools do.

 

As I said earlier, I originally had more notes files than I am currently using. I followed the BGreek mailing list for a time, and created a BGreek notes file where I could quote discussions from BGreek. I was also trying to track related hymns at one point.

 

There are two things to consider when deciding how many note files to have/how to organize them:

-Size: I have seen reports that really large notes files can cause problems. I don't remember the threshold, and i've not experienced it myself, but my memory is that capacious note takers have found it helpful to split their files up.

-Is there an advantage to you to having the content clearly separated? In my case, when I'm working with translating, a translation is all I want in that note; it becomes in a sense a defacto User Bible (not officially, mind you; as far as Accordance is concerned it's still a User Note). Similarly, I want to keep my Hebrew and LXX translations separate. But my notes that are commentary on the text can all be together. Now if I were starting a new devotional program and didn't want to be influenced by my previous studies, I might start a new file. Seminary students might (or might not) want to create separate notes files for separate classes.

 

I hope that helps some.

[Larry Wing]

Bret,

 

I use only one User Notes for all my notes. That keeps it simple for me. I have in the past used multiple files (OT, NT, Specials) but found it too cumbersome. So far I have used a User Note on a non Text module only a couple times so I'm not sure what I'll do in the future.

 

That being said, I also use a User Tool somewhat. Some User Notes entries get copied into the User Tool as more of a personal commentary. I use User Tools mostly when I have links to other modules I want to include since User Notes doesn't allow linking to other resources in the note itself.