Weft QDA - a free, open-source tool for qualitative data analysis Weft QDA is (or was) an easy-to-use, free and open-source tool for the analysis of textual data such as interview transcripts, fieldnotes and other documents. An excerpt from my MSc dissertation explains the thinking behind the software in more detail. The software isn’t being maintained or updated, but the most recent version is available for interest. Import plain-text documents from text files or PDF Character-level coding using categories organised in a tree structure Retrieval of coded text and ‘coding-on’ Simple coding statistics Fast free-text search Combine coding and searches using boolean queries AND, OR, AND NOT ‘Code Review’ to evaluate coding patterns across multiple documents Export to HTML and CSV formats Using Weft QDA The currrent version is 1.0.1, which was released in April 2006. it is not for major projects like a PhD thesis. For Windows Weft QDA 1.0.1 was developed for Windows XP, but may work on newer versions. Weft QDA download [2.66MB - version 1.0.1 - 26/04/2006]
101 Ways Your Smartphone Can Make You Smarter & a Better Student If you own a smartphone, chances are you're already well-versed in the ability of your device to make you smarter than ever, but there's so much more that you can do. From add-ons to hacks, there are many ways you can make your smartphone even more flexible than the manufacturers intended, so read these tips to make you and your smartphone both smarter and better. Communication Turn your smartphone into an even better communication tool with these tools and hacks. Make cheap calls: Connect your smartphone to Jajah's Mobile Web, and you'll be able to save some money on international calls. Finance With these strategies, you'll be able to use your smartphone as a personal finance manager. Track your budget: Automate budget tracking by IMing a budget bot from your phone. Travel These are a few ways to make your smartphone an awesome travel companion. Organize your travel: WorldMate will make it easy to get up-to-date travel information from your smartphone. Media & Entertainment Organization Hacks
Brooklyn Public Library - Local History Collections What's New Tweets by @Brooklynology Hours and Location Check out our Programs and Exhibitions page and the Brooklynology blog for more details. Contact Us Brooklyn Collection Central Library 10 Grand Army Plaza Brooklyn, NY 11238 Phone: 718.230.2762 Fax: 718.857.2245 Email: Ask a Librarian Image of the Week It took long enough, but Spring is finally here, and with it comes another baseball season. About the Brooklyn Collection The Brooklyn Collection is Brooklyn Public Library's local history division, providing a range of information and services about anything and everything Brooklyn. Photographs View and/or purchase more than 20,000 Brooklyn photographs. Digital Collections Brooklyn Collection 2.0 For a daily dose of Brooklyn history, follow the Brooklyn Collection on the Brooklynology blog, Twitter, and check out (and tag!) Brooklyn Connections Learn more about Brooklyn Connections, our unique research project partnerships for 6th through 12th grades. Meet the Brooklyn Collection
Self-Improving Bayesian Sentiment Analysis for Twitter That’s quite the mouthful. Let me start with a huge caveat: I’m not an expert on this, and much of it may be incorrect. I studied Bayesian statistics about fifteen years ago in university, but have no recollection of it (that sounds a bit like Bill Clinton: “I experimented with statistics but didn’t inhale the knowledge”). Even so, given the increasing quantity of real-time content on the Internet, I find the automated analysis of it fascinating, and hope that something in this post might pique your interest. Naive Bayes classifier Bayesian probability, and in particular the Naïve Bayes classifier, is successfully used in many parts of the web, from IMDB ratings to spam filters. The classifier examines the independent features of an item, and compares those against the features (and classification) of previous items to deduce the likely classification of the new item. It is ‘naïve’ because the features are assessed independently. 4 legs65kg weight60cm height DogHumanDog Classifying Sentiment
100 Web Tools for Learning with a Disability The Internet and the computers we use to access it are full of educational possibilities that can help to speed up, complement or provide endless opportunities to expand our knowledge. Unfortunately, sometimes those with disabilities may find these resources more difficult or sometimes impossible to access. Whether you need to use the computer for research, to write a paper or just to learn a new skill, those with disabilities of all kinds can check out these resources to help them improve their learning potential while surfing the Web. Text to Speech Tools Those who have visual disabilities or who have trouble reading can use these text to speech tools to get information delivered to them in audio format. Thunder: This free screen reader program makes it easy to browse the Web, get email and more by reading all content aloud to users. Alternative Formats Get textbooks and other educational information delivered in format besides text with these tools and resources. Math Help
Digital Library for the Decorative Arts and Material Culture Think like a statistician – without the math I call myself a statistician, because, well, I'm a statistics graduate student. However, ask me specific questions about hypothesis tests or required sampling size, and my answer probably won't be very good. The other day I was trying to think of the last time I did an actual hypothesis test or formal analysis. I couldn't remember. I actually had to dig up old course listings to figure out when it was. It was four years ago during my first year of graduate school. Instead, the most important things I've learned are less formal, but have proven extremely useful when working/playing with data. Attention to Detail Oftentimes it's the little things that end up being the most important. The point is that trends and patterns are important, but so are outliers, missing data points, and inconsistencies. See the Big Picture With that said, it's important not to get too caught up with individual data points or a tiny section in a really big dataset. No Agendas Look Outside the Data Ask Why
50+ Open Courseware Writing Classes from the World's Leading Universities Although technical courses tend to get more attention, the availability of writing courses online is impressive. Whether you want to learn how to write for business or just brush up on grammar, you're sure to find what you're looking for. We've compiled more than 50 of these classes, and they're open for anyone to take. Introductory Courses Get beginning writing knowledge from these courses. Introduction to Writing: Academic Prose: In this course, you'll learn how to write for an academic audience. Grammar & Language Use these courses to perfect your writing mechanics. English Grammar in Context: This course will teach you about the importance of grammar, features of speech, and more. Research Whether you're researching for pleasure, work, or school, these courses will steer you in the right direction. Intermediate Writing: Research Writing in a Persuasive Mode: In this 16-week course, you'll learn how to use critical reading and thinking skills to create persuasive research writing.
The New York Art Resources Consortium (NYARC): Towards Radical Collaboration Librarians are natural collaborators—we share materials through interlibrary loan, data through cataloging cooperatives, and our subject and technical expertise on numerous listservs and professional committees—but moving beyond these traditional modes of collaboration is challenging. Collaboration is hard because it often requires an institutional shift; it is time-consuming and relies on effective communication, teamwork, consensus-building and a healthy dose of respect. Last week, Brooklyn Museum hosted a discussion on collaboration led by representatives from NYARC to talk about the future of art museum libraries and used the consortium’s activities as an example of how museum libraries are working together. Arcade launch party held in the Reading Room of the Frick Art Reference Library, February 24, 2009. From left to right: Ken Soehner, Arthur K Watson Chief Librarian at the Thomas J.