Commonplace

Commonplace Example: Research Collection

Overview

Academic and professional research requires organizing sources, notes, findings, and connections in a structured yet flexible system. Commonplace provides an ideal platform for creating a comprehensive research collection that supports the full research workflow from initial questions to final publication.

This example demonstrates how to use Commonplace to build a research system that helps you collect, analyze, synthesize, and share your research effectively.

What it does

This example shows how to:

  • Create a structured system for managing research materials
  • Organize sources, notes, and findings
  • Track research questions and hypotheses
  • Analyze and synthesize information
  • Prepare research for publication or presentation
  • Collaborate with research partners

Implementation

Schemas

We'll create several primary schemas:

  1. Research Project Schema

    • Title: The research project name
    • Research Question: The main question being investigated
    • Abstract: Brief summary of the research
    • Status: Planning, Active, Analysis, Writing, Published
    • Timeline: Key dates and deadlines
    • Collaborators: People involved in the research

  2. Source Schema

    • Title: The source's title
    • Author: Who created the source
    • Publication: Where it was published
    • Date: When it was published
    • Type: Book, Journal Article, Conference Paper, etc.
    • Citation: Formatted citation
    • URL/DOI: Digital identifier or location
    • Notes: Your notes about this source
    • Key Findings: Main points relevant to your research
    • Methodology: Research methods used
    • Limitations: Noted limitations of the study

  3. Note Schema

    • Title: Note title
    • Content: The note text
    • Tags: Categorization tags
    • Related Sources: Sources this note references
    • Status: Rough, Refined, Integrated

  4. Finding Schema

    • Title: Brief description of the finding
    • Description: Detailed explanation
    • Evidence: Supporting data or observations
    • Significance: Why this finding matters
    • Confidence: How certain you are (High, Medium, Low)
    • Related Findings: Connections to other findings

  5. Data Schema

    • Title: Dataset name
    • Description: What the data represents
    • Collection Method: How the data was collected
    • Date Collected: When the data was gathered
    • Variables: Key variables in the dataset
    • Analysis Status: Raw, Processed, Analyzed
    • Visualizations: Links to visualizations of this data

Collection Structure

  1. Research Hub (Home Collection)

    • Overview of all research projects
    • Recent activity across projects
    • Upcoming deadlines
    • Research questions needing attention

  2. Project Collections

    • One collection per research project
    • Contains all project-related cards
    • Multiple views for different research phases
    • Sub-collections for major components

  3. Specialized Collections

    • Literature Review: Organized collection of sources
    • Data Repository: Datasets and analysis
    • Idea Lab: Spatial view for exploring connections
    • Writing Workshop: Drafts and publication materials
    • Methodology Bank: Reusable research methods

Connection System

  1. Basic Connections

    • Connect sources to the notes they inspired
    • Link findings to supporting evidence
    • Connect related findings to show patterns

  2. Structured Inlets

    • supports: Inlet for evidence supporting a finding
    • contradicts: Inlet for evidence contradicting a finding
    • cites: Inlet connecting writing to source materials
    • analyzes: Inlet showing what data supports findings

  3. Automated Connections

    • Set up Commonscript to suggest connections between similar notes
    • Automatically link findings that reference the same sources
    • Generate citation networks from your sources

Research Workflows

  1. Literature Review

    • Create source cards for each reference
    • Extract key points as note cards
    • Connect notes to sources
    • Identify patterns and gaps in the literature
    • Generate visual maps of the literature landscape

  2. Data Collection and Analysis

    • Create data cards for datasets
    • Link to external data files or embed data
    • Document analysis procedures
    • Record findings from analysis
    • Connect findings to the data that supports them

  3. Synthesis and Theory Building

    • Create a spatial view for exploring connections
    • Arrange findings to identify patterns
    • Develop theoretical models as concept cards
    • Test theories against evidence
    • Refine models based on new findings

  4. Writing and Publication

    • Create outline cards for papers or presentations
    • Link sections to supporting findings and sources
    • Draft content with connections to evidence
    • Generate citations automatically from source cards
    • Track submission and revision status

Collaboration Features

  1. Team Coordination

    • Assign research tasks to team members
    • Track progress on different components
    • Share collections with appropriate permissions
    • Maintain a research log of activities

  2. Peer Review

    • Create review cards for feedback
    • Link reviews to specific findings or sections
    • Track revisions based on feedback
    • Maintain version history of research components

  3. Publication Preparation

    • Generate formatted citations and bibliographies
    • Prepare figures and tables with source data links
    • Create presentation materials from research findings
    • Package research for different audiences

Benefits

  • Comprehensive Organization: All research materials in one connected system
  • Traceable Thinking: Clear connections between sources, notes, and findings
  • Evidence-Based Conclusions: Findings explicitly linked to supporting evidence
  • Flexible Structure: Adaptable to different research methodologies
  • Collaborative Capabilities: Share and coordinate with research partners
  • Publication Support: Tools to help prepare research for sharing

Customization Ideas

  • Method Library: Create a collection of reusable research methods
  • Citation Styles: Add support for different citation formats
  • Data Visualization: Integrate tools for visualizing research data
  • Journal Tracking: Track submission status and journal requirements
  • Grant Management: Add components for tracking grant applications and reporting
  • Teaching Integration: Connect research to teaching materials and courses

This example demonstrates how Commonplace can serve as a comprehensive research management system that supports the full research lifecycle from initial questions to final publication.