"Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up." ~~ A.A. Milne
Why keep track of your research process? Sometimes your assignment will ask you to provide details of and/or reflect upon your research experience. In any case, keeping track of your journey when doing research is a habit worth developing. It can save you tons of time, helping you to be successful.
What should you track/log? Keep a running list of search terms to try, search terms you use with a note about the results they yield, the databases you used with what results, the citations for potentially useful sources (articles, books).
Where and how can you keep this information? Dealer's choice. You can use:
Time is precious. Developing habits that save us time is worth considering. Yes, it may mean learning new skills that ... take time but that's an investment in our own future... a gift that repays us many times over.
Organizing our "stuff" is a good start. Are you using your computer's hard drive? A flashdrive? Google Drive or OneDrive? If so, you have a powerful tool for organization at your fingertips. Create "nesting" folders in/on your drive.
Remember to name each folder carefully. Be sure each folder and document name/title says exactly what it is.
| Effective File/Folder Names | Poor Titles for Files/Folders |
|---|---|
| English 101 | group project |
| Marketing: Build a Bear - Works Cited |
Works Cited |
| Psych Paper: Animal vs. Human Sense of Smell | untitled |
| Nutrition Presentation - Spring 2018 | Science |
