Finding great resources is an essential part of research, but keeping sources, citations, authors, websites (and more) organized and easy-to-find are literally more critical to paper-writing success.
- Set up a Google Doc, a MS Word doc, and email folder, or whatever works best for you. BTC students also have U: drive access/storage.
- You can even create a new email address that's just for your research, i.e. "TinasResearch@gmail.com"
- Whenever you find a great source, or an important point to remember, drop the link or citation into your folder, doc, etc.
- Find the method that works for you, and stick with it. Don't change your methodology in the middle of your research.
- Don't rely on tabs - they are too easy to close and lose. Don't rely on flash drives - they can break and often get lost.
- Be consistent, and move data, links, source material, citations, etc. into your folder or file at least every 30 minutes. Or train yourself to do this as you locate important information you want to access again.
- BACK UP YOUR RESEARCH.
Time management is another critical part of the research process.
- Give yourself plenty of time to not only finish the assignment, but to check it for style, format, spelling, grammar, and of course, to verify factual information.
- Check citations and make sure they can be located and accessed. If you are citing a website or blog, note the date you accessed the site in case the online information changes over time.
- If possible, have a colleague or someone knowledgeable in the field read your paper before you turn it in. Feedback is incredibly helpful for assessing how successfully you've made your point.
