When going through the research process it is beneficial to track your searches and resources, as well as the time that you allot to these activities. Using an assignment calculator to determine deadlines, research logs to catalogue searches, and citation managers to organize your sources help make the process move smoothly. While some of the steps might seem tedious, they will save you time and energy later on.
When searching it is often helpful to document your searches to see what terms, databases, and limiters give you the best results. It is also helpful when trying to retrace your steps, determine what is working well, or where you need to reevaluate your search.
Citation managers allow you to save the citation information of resources in one convenient place. At HWS, we recommend using Zotero, a free citation manger, to store all of your citation information. Zotero will allow you to organize your research, save files, and export your bibliography in any citation style you choose.
Before you begin, you will need to know what type of publication you using in order to pull all of the necessary information. This will save you time and effort searching for this information in the future when you need to create citations and bibliographies. The more of this work you do as you go, the less you will have to do at the end.
Want to plan out your assignment to make the most effective use of your time and efforts? Uncertain of how to best manage your time? Want to make sure you're staying on track with your work. Try out these calculators to give you key due dates, plan your study time, and ensure a good work/life balance.