15d Set up a research log.

Keeping a research log will make the job of writing and documenting your sources more efficient and accurate. Use your research log to jot down ideas about possible sources and to keep track of materials. When you record an online source in your log, include the URL or other information that will help you find the source again.

Here are a few guidelines for setting up a research log:

  1. Create a folder, and label it with a name that will be easy to identify, such as Research Log for Project on Messaging.
  2. Within this folder, create subfolders that will help you manage your project. These subfolders might include Notes on Hypothesis and Thesis, Background Information, Visuals, Draft 1, Working Bibliography, and so on.

You might prefer to begin a blog for your research project. You can use it to record your thoughts on the reading you are doing and, especially, add links from there to Web sites, documents, and articles you have found online.

Whatever form your research log takes, you must clearly distinguish the notes and comments you make from quoted passages you record (see Chapter 17).