Turn 50 pages of data into 1. Yup, it is true
So, you have chosen to become a researcher. Great! Welcome to an entirely new universe of academia: a challenging yet rewarding place.
A myriad of questions is now awaiting your answers. Do you want to become a quantitative or a qualitative researcher? Are you in favor of the ontological or epistemological approach? Will you use the statistical method — or are you put off the moment you see a formula on the whiteboard?
And most importantly: How will you design and organize your research for the data to make sense?
Answering these questions is essential to your academic success, regardless of what you are authoring: an undergraduate thesis or a Ph.D. dissertation.
While we cannot advise which methods and approaches to choose, we are happy to show you how to organize your research faster and better.
Let’s get the party started.
The struggle of arranging data
Jotting down notes and observations to research is what oxygen is to humans. And boy-oh-boy, there will be many of them. On average, it takes just several months for students to collect tons of different little pieces of information all around the place.
Back in the days, researchers would write down findings and organize them using pens and notebooks. To some, this method might sound obsolete, yet it still works for some people. As long as they are dealing with small volumes of data, that is.
The watershed moment takes place when your notes and observations become so scattered that you can no longer wrap your head around them or find them.
Once that moment comes, most researchers click on the familiar Word or Google Docs icon. After all, why would you opt for a different tool? These two brothers-in-arms are simple, straightforward, and popular.
You are right. But here is the dealbreaker: They make your life difficult.
Although the classic linear A4 format has its advantages, it fails to do the trick research-wise. The documents often end up too long and difficult to navigate, with plenty of formatting issues springing up here and there.
Can you really find your way easily around a 50-page long Word doc? Especially if the formatting got out of hand?
Yet, the biggest challenge kicks in when you try creating a table to break down your information into categories. The moment it becomes too big, the text turns disfigured and unreadable. What’s even more frustrating is that it takes ages to make the table pleasing to the eye: the indents and the width configurations suck out all your energy.
Sure, you can spend hours fixing the document, learning the ins and outs of Word or Google Docs table formatting. But why on earth would you waste time on that?
The big picture mode
xTiles has a dramatically different approach to the way we manage information. Drawing on the values of simplicity, visualization, and consensus, it has created a unique canvas underpinned by three key features: cards, deep-dive, and subpages. Combined, they help you arrange ideas, making them short and easily retrievable in one place.
For researchers, this is a true lifesaver.
First off, you can use our customizable cards however you please. All you have to do is click on the screen, expanding — or shrinking — the rectangle appearing on it. It is fun and incredibly satisfying.
You can use these cards for all sorts of purposes. You can create themes for your notes or break down your data into specific categories. To navigate fast, we have created a palette that you can use for coloring cards.
Meanwhile, the deep-dive and subpages features preclude the document from turning into a series of messy notes. The former ensures that the cards contain large volumes of information available only if you open them and scroll within their borders. Thanks to this approach, you consume only the information you deem necessary and relevant at this moment in time without leaving the big picture mode.
Yet, the most beautiful part is that the cards make it super easy to create neat tables fast. They do not require any formatting effort from you whatsoever: It takes only a minute to do it and share it with others. This is especially important if you are working in groups or planning to show it to your supervisors.
Researching it away
To give you a better perspective of what the tool can do for you, let’s imagine you decided to manually analyze 300 articles in three different newspapers. Your goal is to establish which of them contained neutral, biased, and distorted information.
To go about it, you first need to develop a corresponding framework, giving examples of what you consider to be part of these categories. Then, you need to analyze these articles and classify them accordingly. Finally, you need to draw conclusions and make sense of it all.
It is an arduous undertaking for sure. And it also requires a lot of digital A4 pages: at least 50–60 pages using regular 11–12 Times New Roman font.
Here is how you can do it in xTiles using one page.
First, open a new file. Then, click on the screen and create the first set of cards: These will be your tables for classifying the articles.
Now, expand the card(s) and start filling the information in. Done? Shrink them and move on to your next card, where you will sum up all your findings. Perhaps add one more to write down some observations that you made on the way. Add some colors on the way: no need to keep it dull!
Then, create a subpage for storing all the information, which is indirectly related to your research. For example, the framework you used, relevant links, references, and other stuff, including pictures, videos.
And do not worry about getting something wrong on the way: xTiles lets you correct mistakes effortlessly. An article title ended up in the wrong card? Just drag and drop the title into a different card: No need to go from page 44 all the way up to 22
Want to move the cards elsewhere? Absolutely, you are free to relocate them all around the canvas as many times as you please. You do not have to redo the whole table, transferring information frantically between the cells.
This liberty and simplicity action-wise are precisely the reasons why xTiles is great for research. The tool reduces your frustration, helps you focus, and makes your life an iota easier.
Happy research!
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