Any academics?

[OTDoc]

Old Testament/Hebrew Bible prof. I did not discover fountain pens until my dissertation was done. I am working on a book now about sacred space. I am using a Waterman Expert, Namiki Vanishing point and Lamy Al-stars in addition to my PC.

[mackthepen]

Studying nursing at doctoral level - mostly using Lamy Safari/Al-Stars, but also a few others - Papermates, Parkers (45s and a 51), Sheaffers ...

 

Andrew

[dizzypen]

History-Slavery studies

 

I've been using quite a few different pens: a couple Esterbrook Js, Several Sheaffers

[napaxton]

But lots of LaTeX...!

I'm glad to see it's not just mathematicians and physicists using it.

 

Wait, are there any other serious computer-typesetting/wordprocessing tools, than LaTeX/TeX ?

 

High-end stuff like Adobe InDesign and such. But I don't know of anything open-source or free....

[DAYoung]

I'm a philosopher and author. Like OTDoc, I wrote my PhD on computer, but my first book (for a general audience) was written in longhand, with a Parker Sonnet.

 

Most of my journalism is written on computer, but my published fiction and poetry was written in longhand, with the Sonnet.

 

My next book, due out in 2011, is being written chiefly in longhand, with my Waterman Hemisphere.

Edited August 6, 2009 by DAYoung

[limesally]

MSc candidate in exercise physiology, specifically hormones, activity and the aging process. Lime green Lamy Safari, which I think I may have lost just today

[eric47]

But lots of LaTeX...!

I'm glad to see it's not just mathematicians and physicists using it.

Wait, are there any other serious computer-typesetting/wordprocessing tools, than LaTeX/TeX ?

Probably the best known for so-called long documents, which I take it what you're looking for in this "academic" thread, is Framemaker. Originally written by someone who wanted/needed something good to write his dissertation, the original company Frame Technology was bought by Adobe (probably as a way get rid of a competitor); see here for instance.

 

Powerful program. Support for the standard things in long documents, e.g. chapters, cross-referecing, indexing, etc. Frames actually work in that program, unlike Word -- MS just does not get frames. You can go geeky with codes too if you want. Even imports Word documents, albeit with the usual tweaking needed afterwords.

 

Used a lot for books and technical manuals. See here for instance for a list of companies said to use Framemaker. Just for some examples, I think Apple produces or produced some beautiful manuals -- even the throwaway ones -- that are done in Framemaker. (I think it may even be listed in the front of their manuals that they used Framemaker.) Some of O'Reilly's books are done in Framemaker.

 

Adobe -- some say reluctantly -- still produces/updates Framemaker, but the Mac and some Unix versions were killed off a few years ago. The latest version runs only on Windows and Solaris. It's kind of languishing in the Adobe portfolio of products.

 

Adobe is pushing InDesign, which when first released showed its "Pagemaker" page mentality, and trying to wage war once again against Quark. They only recently added footnotes to InDesign, woo hoo! It's still lagging in long document features found in Framemaker.

 

Quark can be used too for long documents, but I thnk you need to pay big time for a 3d-party add-on to handle the usual features of long documents, e.g. footnotes, etc.

Edited August 6, 2009 by eric47

[dandelion]

Soon to be Master in Law. I'm writing my final essay on EU Labour Law. I'm a procrastinator who constantly get surprised when I realise that what I'm working on is interesting...

[bookworm]

I just recently returned to grad school after completing a Master of Library Science (MLS) degree in 1999. I am currently working on a MFA in English. Things have certainly changed within the field of technology in the past ten years, but my preference for using a fountain pen to write papers and notes has not. During my first turn at grad school I used a combination of a Cross Townsend FP and an old style Pelikan 200 (?) rollerball. On this go around I have been using a Sailor PG with a fine nib, Pelikan 215 Lozenge with a Binder XF m400 nib, and an Esterbrook J in blue with a firm fine nib. Nothing beats the feeling of sitting in class and writing out notes longhand with my fountain pen while some of the others are struggling to find a plug in for their laptops!

 

Because of the extent of the assigned reading for the classes, I wrote chapter and story summaries in a large Moleskine--with a fountain pen of course. Now I am in the process of writing final papers for each of the three classes that I took this summer--Film and Literature, World Mythology, and Southern Literature. I know this probably sounds corny, but I feel like it's so much easier to write papers like these with my fountain pens!

 

Kind of off topic, but I teach English to 7th, 8th and 9th graders and they love my fountain pens. In fact, I purchased a set of Pilot Varsities and some Platinum Preppies for them to use in their journals and they love them! Some of the kids even ask to write in their journals so they can use the pens. I also make them write out rough drafts for writing assignments, sometimes with the fountain pens. One student told me that she likes the "old" pens because they make her feel more creative. Maybe some of these kids will turn into academics/fountain pen lovers?

 

Rebecca

Edited August 9, 2009 by bookworm

[Zaphod]

Master's thesis about automated software security testing.

 

But lots of LaTeX...!

I'm glad to see it's not just mathematicians and physicists using it.

 

Wait, are there any other serious computer-typesetting/wordprocessing tools, than LaTeX/TeX ?

 

High-end stuff like Adobe InDesign and such. But I don't know of anything open-source or free....

 

I'm also a LaTeX user. Now during proofreading, I have a Lamy Safari with EF nib loaded with Waterman Red for marking the errors and a Waterman Hemisphere with WM Blue for other notes on the printouts.

 

As for the question about "anything open source or free": Scribus (www.scribus.net). Haven't used it myself, but I've heard lots of positive stuff about it.

[DAYoung]

Kind of off topic, but I teach English to 7th, 8th and 9th graders and they love my fountain pens. In fact, I purchased a set of Pilot Varsities and some Platinum Preppies for them to use in their journals and they love them! Some of the kids even ask to write in their journals so they can use the pens. I also make them write out rough drafts for writing assignments, sometimes with the fountain pens. One student told me that she likes the "old" pens because they make her feel more creative. Maybe some of these kids will turn into academics/fountain pen lovers?

 

Pilot and Platinum Preppies pen proselytizing.

 

It's not only a lovely thing to do - it's fine alliteration.

 

Good on you, Rebecca.

[alkman]

I wrote the first draft of my MA thesis on the poet Michael Palmer's "Letters to Zanzotto" with a MB Kafka pen filled with MB burgundy ink...fourteen pages on cheap yellow legal. For a first draft, it was terrible, but the final draft turned out quite nicely. I'm thinking of acquiring a Nakaya to write my doctoral dissertation if I pass my comprehensive exams this fall. The notes for the latter have been done with a Sailor PG with a Saibi nib...

[I am not a number]

Faculty staff at one of the UK's leading post-graduate universities and currently doing a post-grad degree in Psyops.

[carlc]

Senior Lecturer in Nursing (Adult) with a cardiac specialist focus.

 

Currently researching some anatomy and physiology chapters for a book whilst rotating an Estie J, a Wality 52 PF and a Pilot eyedropper.

 

Edit: All in a Pukka project book

Edited August 15, 2009 by carlc

[Phaedrus]

Biostatistician -helping out with military epidemiology at the moment.

LaTeX is my preferred way of writing documents but often get forced into Word by collaborators who like "track changes"

 

Rotate my pens at work -usually something with a fine nib (Sailor 1911, Namiki VP, Pelikan m800 are the usual suspects)

When I'm working at home, I tend to use my grey Sailor Mosaic (also with a fine nib)

If I'm not writing anything with maths, I go for my Sailor PG with a medium Naginata Togi nib

[somnath1077]

Anyone large academic writing? Undergrad thesis, masters thesis, or dissertation? If so, what pen are you using to keep your stuff in? What is your topic about and what are you arguing?

 

Theoretical Computer Scientist. Just submitted my PhD thesis and will soon join a post-doctoral position in Germany. I use LaTeX exclusively for typing out documents. I'm currently use two recently acquired Advocate ebonite ED fountain pens for my work. Some of the other pens I have used during the course of my PhD work: Lamy Studio (fine point), Sheaffer 300 (medium), Sheaffer Prelude (medium), Pelikan 200 (fine), several Walitys and no-name ebonite pens, Waterman Hemisphere and Phileas, Parkers and several others.

[thehobbit]

Theologian here - working on master thesis (which will be continued as ThD thesis) about spirituality of early Carthusian monks, about certain aspects of prayer in their writings and perhaps about the influence of Desert Fathers in their works and lives.

Writing mostly with a Sailor saporro, but there is a P51 and Sheaffer balance on the way. And an Omas to get

[adam11]

Archeology. Recently written and defended PhD dissertation. I was using a lot Pel M 400 (MB Racing green) and Wallity 69 L (self mixed rad ink).

[dee]

I use my Sheaffer Targa And Lamy Safari for writing all my papers. Recently finished a paper on the cultural and political influences of Alexandria (Egypt) on Rome.

 

dee

 

[ihopgod]

I wrote my undergrad thesis on how technology allowed (stagnant/'conventional') punk aesthetic and ideology to be dynamic through new sub-cultures: cyberpunk, technopunk, hackers, and steam punks. I also looked at the public's understanding of all things punk via popular culture, primarily film and mainstream punk.

 

Much of the notes were written with a Pilot Cavalier -> Microsoft Word.