Organising and assessing sources is a crucial part of the writing process. When researching, we not only absorb information that helps to develop our understanding of the topic, we also have to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a source and consider its relevance and value in relation to our own research focus. In one form or another, academic writing often requires this sort of appraisal. Indeed, this analysis is central to our critical thinking, allowing us to interpret a topic from various angles through the work of other scholars.
Like other things in the world of writing, there are no 'right' and 'wrong' answers when it comes to how you manage sources: you need to try out options to discover what feels organised and intuitive to you, personally. Therefore, in this guide, we'll showcase several different approaches to keeping track of academic literature, taking notes, and recording your appraisals of evidence.
The tabs of this guide will support you in managing your academic sources/literature. The sections are organised as follows:
