research methods — News and Notes

A Short Tutorial on Using Obsidian with Zotero and Creating Live Citations for LibreOffice

This post describes a macOS workflow for writing in Obsidian while managing sources in Zotero. Citations are added to Markdown using Better BibTeX citation keys, then Pandoc and the zotero.lua filter convert the manuscript into a LibreOffice ODT containing live Zotero citations. After opening the document in LibreOffice, Zotero can refresh the citations, apply a chosen style, and generate the bibliography. The post includes setup instructions and a downloadable conversion script on GitHub.

Digital Humanities, Blog Posts, ResearchJason KellyNovember 12, 2026github, libreoffice, obsidian, zotero, reference_management, research methodsComment

Research Methods: Using A Database Sheet

This is a short introduction to using a “database sheet” in your research workflow. The database sheet guides your online searches in libraries and archives, improving efficiency and thoroughness.

Blog Posts, TeachingJason KellyJuly 21, 2023research, methods, research methods

Multimodal History Learning Module: Text, Multimedia, Student Worksheet, and Rubric

A module on multimodal history theory and methods for the German Migration Research Network project. The final version of this module will be available as an open educational resource at the University of Hamburg.

Historiography (2): Taking Notes Using the "Historiography Worksheet"

There are many different ways to introduce students to historiography. One of my primary tools is a "Historiography Worksheet." The purpose of the Historiography Worksheet is threefold. First, it teaches students about the complexities of historiography--as both a practice and a field of study. Second, it provides a framework for classroom discussion. Third, it offers students a standardized note-taking format that helps students develop their skills analyzing and synthesizing historical arguments.