CICS 305 Social Issues in Computing

Use a Research Log to document the choices you make during your research process. A Research Log can be as simple or complex as you need it to be, but it should collect the following basic information to help you track and think critically about your research.  

• Your research question and keywords
• The databases that you searched
• Criteria used to refine your search
• The sources you've identified and their characteristics

You can also use this tool to keep notes on your progress. Write about what's been successful and what's frustrated you, or take notes about what you're reading. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, elaborate, or even academic -- just a way to keep a log of your thoughts and what you've found.

What can I do with a citation management tool?

  Create bibliographies and references automatically
  Check for and remove duplicate citations
  Add annotations, subjects, and descriptions to your citations
  Re-use your research over time
  Embed footnotes, end notes, and in-text citations in a document

What can't it do?

  Correct errors present in the original database records
  Create a perfect bibliography or Works Cited list, you must still check them for accuracy
  Create legal citation formats
  Can not import citations from a text file, Word File, or sheet of paper automatically

Determine the best citation management tool to use.

Organize citations and documents with Zotero and Mendeley