This document outlines a paperless workflow for organizing academic articles using cloud services and apps. It recommends using SkyDrive or Dropbox to store files in the cloud and access them across devices. Mendeley is recommended for organizing PDFs and citations, and can be used on desktop and mobile via its app. For advanced annotation, iAnnotate allows highlighting and annotating PDFs, and exporting notes to other apps or the cloud service. The workflow streamlines accessing and sharing files, references, and notes across multiple devices.

1. Paperless Productivity:
Your Web 2.0 Academic
Workflow
Monica D.T. Rysavy, Ed.D.
The Pennsylvania State University
AECT 2013

2. Today you’re going to learn…
• How easy it is to organize your digital articles using
Mendeley Desktop
• How to share content with multiple devices using
SkyDrive and Dropbox
• Which apps are great to use for highlighting or
annotating your articles, with tips for using each!

3. What does your current
workflow look like?

4. Before this system
• Files were downloaded on multiple devices
• It was difficult to remember what files were downloaded
where
• Highlights and/or annotations were only saved on the
device where they were made
• I had to remember which device had not only which
files, but which highlighted or annotated files

5. Original Workflow

6. Paperless Workflow Step #1
Select a Cloud Service
•
Decide which cloud service you would like to use to store your
files
•
•
Recommendations:
•
•
SkyDrive
Dropbox
Important Considerations
•
•
Does the cloud service provide enough storage for free or at a price
you are willing to pay?
Do the apps you want to use sync with the cloud service you’ve
selected?

7. Microsoft SkyDrive
•
•
•
•
•
http://skydrive.live.com
7 GB free storage
Files in Skydrive folder on your PC
or Mac sync to the Skydrive cloud
Access your files from your
computer, Skydrive website, or
mobile device
Free apps available for Windows
Phone, iOS, and Android devices

8. Dropbox
•
•
•
•
•
http://www.dropbox.com
2 GB free storage
Files in Dropbox folder on your PC
or Mac sync to the Dropbox cloud
Access your files from your
computer, Dropbox website, or
mobile device
Free apps available for
Android, iOS, Blackberry, and
Kindle Fire devices

9. Select a Cloud Service
• Sign up for your chosen service on the website
• Download the app or software needed for your desktop
or laptop

10. Paperless Workflow Step #2:
Install Citation Software - Mendeley
•
Create an account, download, and
install Mendeley on your desktop
or laptop
•
http://www.mendeley.com
•
2 GB Free Storage (web)

11. Mendeley Demo

12. Mendeley Demo:
Import research automatically!
Tip!
Make
sure to
click
“Apply”!

13. Mendeley Demo:
Creating Folders

14. Tip!
Create
folders
that
match
your
classes
or
projects!
Mendeley Demo:
Additional Organization with
Subfolders

15. Mendeley Demo:
Article Details

16. Mendeley Demo:
Copying Citations

17. Paperless Workflow Step #3:
Selecting Apps for your Mobile
Device(s)
• Decide what you want to do with your articles:
•
•
•
•
Just read?
Read and highlight and take notes?
Read, highlight, take notes, and export notes?
Functionality needs should drive app selection

18. Paperless Workflow Step #3:
Simple Functionality: Mendeley App
• Download for free
from the App Store for
iOS
•
Available for iPad and
iPhone

19. Paperless Workflow Step #3:
Mendeley App
View the same folder
structure as your Desktop /
laptop to easily find files

20. Paperless Workflow Step #3:
Mendeley App
Download only
the articles you
need to save
space

21. Paperless Workflow Step #3:
Mendeley App
Add tags to help
organize content &
view notes made on
your desktop or
laptop

22. Paperless Workflow Step #3:
Mendeley App
Highlight or add
notes to specific
lines of text within
the article

23. Paperless Workflow Step #3:
Mendeley App + Desktop/Laptop
Once the Mendeley
app syncs with it’s
cloud service, you
will be able to see
your highlights or
notes on your
Desktop/laptop as
well

24. Paperless Workflow Step #3:
Advanced Functionality: iAnnotate App
•
•
Available for iOS (Full Version) and
Android (Lite Version)
Price:

25. Paperless Workflow Step #3:
iAnnotate App
•
Connect your Cloud Storage
Service by selecting the + sign

26. Paperless Workflow Step #3:
iAnnotate App
•
•
Name your Cloud Service and
enter your credentials to log in
You can add multiple services to
iAnnotate (i.e.
SkyDrive, Dropbox, etc…)

27. Paperless Workflow Step #3:
iAnnotate App
•
Give iAnnotate permission to
access your CloudService

28. Paperless Workflow Step #3:
iAnnotate App
•
Once your service is
connected, select which folders
you would like to download files
from

29. Paperless Workflow Step #3:
iAnnotate App

30. Paperless Workflow Step #3:
iAnnotate App
Email just the
highlighted text
to yourself or to
Notebook
software like
Evernote

31. Paperless Workflow Step #3:
iAnnotate App
Once iAnnotate
syncs with your
cloud service,
you will see the
highlights in your
Desktop/Laptop
Mendeley
software.

32. Resource Links
• SkyDrive: http://skydrive.live.com
• Dropbox: http://www.dropbox.com
• Mendeley: http://www.mendeley.com
• Mendeley App:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mendeleyreference-manager/id380669300?mt=8
• iAnnotate App: http://www.branchfire.com/iannotate/

33. Contact Information
Please feel free to contact me for tips or more information!
Monica Rysavy
monica@monicarysavy.com