Bibdesk is the best Bibtex-based reference manager I’ve come across. Not only does it have an incredibly slick UI and great integration with OS X, it also automagically files collected papers in PDF files.

This iTunes-style library is very useful if, like me, you have scattered articles all over your harddrive. By referencing local files, they are automatically copied and renamed into a library directory of your choice. You can even file them into subfolders but I prefer plain citekey.pdf.

Importing from JSTOR and the likes is a matter of copying the citation information in any common format, plus an additional AppleScript that grabs the PDF right from JSTOR. I had to fix the script to use a proxy for JSTOR access, but now everything is a matter of one or two clicks (probably optimizable to one click only). Since Pubmed offers only little to social scientists, I will look for other sources for references and articles. SpringerLink and Blackwell, you’re next!

I love practical game theory.

As of this week I am officially working at the Berlin University of the Arts, more precisely as a Research Associate and Lecturer at the Chair of Communication and Media Research.

Not only does this mean that I get to do lots of interesting research and teaching and web programming  in a highly motivated young team, I also have the opportunity (and obligation) to write a PhD thesis, preferably on some online communication topic.

After seemingly endless revisions (thank god for subversion!) I finally submitted my MA thesis today. The official deadline is mid-December but I honestly could not not come up with a good reason not to get rid of it now.