I'm a postdoc fellow, a historian, working on a book manuscript, based on thousands of historical sources in a variety of electronic formats (pdfs, mp4s, images, word docs, etc.). I have my sources organized logically on my Mac in a hierarchical folder structure. This method works for the purposes of downloading and storing sources, but not for reorganizing, brainstorming, and writing.
Does anyone know of a software package that will leave all my documents where they reside on my hard drive but can link these together in a more permanent, yet still fluid (non-hierarchical) structure -- kind of like a very complex mind map? Of course, I could put tags and attach keywords to pull material together. This method, however, has serious limitations. So, too, do databases which tend toward hierarchical structures.
I have looked at mind mapping software -- the free and cheaper packages -- and all have marked limitations. I'm working with thousands of PDFs and other sources, which rules out programs designed for smaller projects. Vue uses a lot of memory even before attaching documents. Other programs import files; however, my project would measure in the gigabytes if I were forced into going that route. I want to leave files where they reside on my computer with the capability of reorganizing them visually with links. Curio does some of this, yet it proved unstable on my system. A native-Mac program that utilizes its cocoa base, allowing access, for instance, to Quick Look, would be best.
I have spent too many hours googling around, trying out various packages on my own, and could really use some assistance.
