Chapter 33. Working with Sources

Managing Your Project

It is never too early in a research project to begin keeping a record of the sources you uncover. A working bibliography will help you stay organized during the research process and will provide you with essential information when you are ready to complete your assignment. In addition, keeping careful track will help you sort out source material from your own words, an important part of avoiding plagiarism.

Starting a Working Bibliography

Your working bibliography is a detailed and evolving list of articles, books, Web sites, and other resources that may contribute to your research. It guides your research by recording the sources you plan to consult and adding notes about those you do examine. Each entry in your working bibliography eventually needs to follow the format your instructor expects, generally either MLA or APA style. Start by choosing a recording method you can use most efficiently:

note cards, recording one source per card
small notebook, writing on one side of the page
word-processor file
citation management software or other database

The table below provides a list of the types of information to record in your working bibliography.

Types of Information to Record	The Basics	Common Additions
Names	Complete name of the author, as supplied in the source, unless not identified	Names of coauthors, in the order listed in the source Names of any editor, compiler, translator, or contributor
Titles	Title and any subtitle of an article, Web page, or posting (in quotation marks for MLA) Title and any subtitle of a journal, magazine, newspaper, book, or Web site (italicized)	Title of a journal special issue Title of a series of books or pamphlets and any item number
Publication Details for Periodicals	Volume and issue numbers for a journal (and a magazine for APA) DOI (digital object identifier) article number Section number or letter for a newspaper	Any edition of a newspaper (for MLA)

Keeping Track of Sources

Rather than relying on memory to track where source information came from, develop efficient techniques that work best for your research purpose.

Take Advantage of Digital Tools. When you’re researching sources on the Internet or in an online database, become familiar with the tools at your disposal. As a precaution, regularly back up all electronic files you create.

Download or e-mail search results from library databases to your own computer or storage device, making it easier to find and access these materials again.
Bookmark useful Web sites or use a curating site such as Scoop.it to manage your most promising online sources.
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Create a folder to save links, e-mails, online posts, transcripts of chats, and database records. Give each file a descriptive name so that you can retrieve the information quickly later on.
If a database or Internet search is productive, note where you searched and what keywords you used so you can easily repeat the search if necessary.

Use Time-Honored Methods for Organizing with Paper. If you prefer a paper format for keeping track of sources, make use of these helpful techniques.

Summarize sources on sticky notes or index cards so that you can quickly rearrange them.
Use a poster board to sketch a “storyboard” for the main “events” that you want to cover in your paper.
Copy or scan book passages and articles, print electronic sources (noting the site or database and date of access), and keep field material. Be sure the author (or title) and page number appear on each page so you can accurately credit your source.