Research Organisation

Effective research organisation saves time, strengthens your argument, and ensures your writing is grounded in accurate, relevant, and credible sources.

1. Collect

Gather a broad range of sources.

  • Books & monographs
  • Peer-reviewed journals
  • Reports & datasets
  • Academic websites

2. Filter & Evaluate

Assess source quality using academic criteria.

Relevance

Does it directly support your topic?

Credibility

Is it scholarly and peer reviewed?

Recency

Is the research up-to-date?

Reliability

Evaluate how rigorous and evidence-based the publication is.

3. Organise

Sort and structure your notes.

  • Summaries per source
  • Key quotes and page numbers
  • Themes and sub-themes
  • Connections to argument

Building an Effective Research Workflow

An organised workflow prevents information overload and helps you track how each source contributes to your overall argument. Academic writing is clearer when your research is structured logically.

  • Keep all your sources in one central system.
  • Create separate folders for themes or chapters.
  • Use consistent file naming (Author-Year-Keyword.pdf).
  • Store citation details as you read — never leave this until the end.
  • Summarise sources in your own words to avoid patchwriting.

Note-Taking Systems

1. Cornell Notes

Split the page into cues, notes, and a summary. Excellent for lecture notes or complex readings.

2. Thematic Mapping

Organise notes around themes, arguments, or sub-questions instead of sources. Ideal for literature reviews.

3. Evidence Matrix

A table where each row is a source and each column is a theme or claim. This exposes gaps, patterns, and contradictions instantly.

Managing Your Sources

Reference Tracking

Keep a running list of citations with full details as soon as you read a source.

Annotations

Write short summaries for each article focusing on: purpose, method, findings, limitations, and relevance to your topic.

Avoiding Patchwriting

Ensure all notes are in your own language, not loosely rearranged versions of the original text.

Integrating With Your Thesis

Tag each note with which part of your argument it supports — or challenges.