[bigcloits]

Originally Posted by brianogilvie

Until keyword searches can use an entire semantic field, including in foreign languages, classification systems will remain useful.

Sigh. I guess I can’t just use one folder. Except ... just wait a darned tootin’ moment here … my brain is quite good at using an entire semantic field! Can’t find “buckets”? Hmm, perhaps “pails” will do it ... Phew, that was close: I was almost thwarted by the lack of a semantic-field searching algorithm and/or classification system! Not!

Sorry, I’m being a bit snarky, just for fun. But seriously, how about a little KISS? Do we really need to be discussing semantic fields? I have a pretty large and diverse archive of reference material compared to the average Joe, but it’s not the Library of Congress. Spotlight and LaunchBar do well enough. On the odd occasion when I can’t find something, the usual outcome is that, five minutes later, I think of a new way of searching for it, et voila! Crisis averted!

Brain + existing search technologies = good enough for government work, probably better.

[brianogilvie]

Originally Posted by bigcloits

Sorry, I’m being a bit snarky, just for fun. But seriously, how about a little KISS? Do we really need to be discussing semantic fields?

Well, OmniFocus is for power organizers! :-)

But seriously, my main concern with relying entirely on one Reference folder and Spotlight searches is not that I won't be able to find something that I know I have. As you say, the brain is pretty good about figuring that out. What I'm afraid of is that I will save something and then not remember later that I have it, and therefore won't even notice that it did not turn up in my keyword search. That's especially true of journal articles that I download in PDF and then file away for reference, without reading them. (I skim the abstract to see whether they're relevant.) I want to be able to find them later, even though I'm not sure what's in them, so I file them in folders for the appropriate project. That way I engineer pleasant surprises--the surprise of finding something relevant that I had forgotten while I am working on an article or chapter--and avoid unpleasant surprises--such as discovering after I've published something that I neglected to take into account something in an article I had noted but not read.

I also find classified folders helpful for all the notes I took with pen or pencil back in the 80s and 90s and have since scanned with my ScanSnap.

[roberthoodphd]

I would second the point about not using OmniFocus for keeping reference materials. But you can use it to link to them. I use finder folders, called "Reading" and "Reference." Although I would prefer the ability to just drag an alias to the blue sidebar, it is possible to sort of do this currently. Here's how:

1. Create a project (I have mine under "Library", but you can put yours wherever it's most convenient to you)
2. Drag the finder folder to the project as an alias
3. When you click on the "Reference" highlight in OF it takes you to the Finder folder "Reference" (You can set up whatever Folder hierarchy you want)
(Optional, and probably overkill: change the icon on the reading and reference folders in the Finder so you you see them as "special" folders--my reference folder has sort of a library building type icon)

I use FoxTrot Professional Search to search. It's pricey, but it's the most reliable program I've found for searching. I think it's better than Spotlight.

I've tried various 3rd party applications: Devonthink, EagleFiler, and various programs like Circus Ponies Notebook. Pretty much what's worked for me is to use the Finder. After an issue with database corruption in DT, I figured the safest way would be to use the Finder. Though one advantage of DT is that you can created more types of folder linkages than in the finder. Eaglefiler is also worth trying, in my view, because EF uses core data in OXS, so it builds upon OSX technology (and the developer is so responsive). Anyway: I moved to the Finder when OSX introduced Quicklook. (I'm not sure whether DT or EF have incorporated Quicklook by now)

To help find things, I use Spotlight Comments to add alternate tags. (In the example above, where if you have a file with "pail" in it, and a search for "bucket" wont' turn up "pail" I would insert a term like "pail" using spotlight comments. (Select a file using the finder, hit apple-I and you get to edit the spotlight comment). It takes some discipline to set up consistent keywords, so I'm unfortunately not consistent in doing this, but probably what makes libraries work is the use of consistent keywords. You could try using DevonThink's artificial intelligence to index finder folders, so that may help also. And the pro version is great for scanning materials in.

Good luck!