How do you keep track of your sources and organize them for easy access and retrieval?

1 Choose a citation style

Before you start collecting and citing sources, you need to decide which citation style to follow. Different disciplines and publications have different preferences and rules for how to format and document sources. For example, APA, MLA, and Chicago are some of the common citation styles used in academic and professional writing. You can consult the official style guides or online resources to learn the basics and examples of each style.

4 Paraphrase and quote correctly

When you use information or ideas from your sources, you need to paraphrase or quote them correctly and cite them accordingly. Paraphrasing means rephrasing the source in your own words, while quoting means copying the exact words from the source. You should paraphrase more than quote, and only quote when the original words are important or memorable. You should also avoid changing the meaning or misrepresenting the source when you paraphrase or quote.

5 Avoid plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of using someone else's work or words without giving proper credit or acknowledgment. Plagiarism can be intentional or unintentional, but either way, it is unethical and can have serious consequences. To avoid plagiarism, you need to cite your sources properly and follow the citation style rules. You also need to make clear what is your own work and what is borrowed from others. You can use plagiarism checkers or tools to scan your work and detect any possible issues.

6 Review and update your sources

Finally, you need to review and update your sources before you submit or publish your work. You need to make sure that your citations and references are complete, consistent, and accurate. You also need to check if there are any new or updated sources that you might have missed or that might affect your arguments or conclusions. You can use online tools or databases to search for the latest and most relevant sources for your topic.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?