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[tt_wannabe]

I haven't even started a doctoral program, but am making progress towards applying. One of the requirements for the application is a 5 page 'research paper' that identifies my research interests. I've been busy reading everything I can and have started to put some thoughts down, but the amount of material I've gathered in so short a period of time is really kind of scary.  Managing just this 5 pager is a little daunting; I can't imagine how to do it for a diss.

So, how do you keep track of the articles, papers, journals, books, websites, etc that you've read? If you want to find a quote or relevant fact, how to you find it in the huge volume of (mostly printed) info you've already gathered? I can't imagine having to re-read dozens of articles to find the one I was thinking about using. Any thoughts? Thanks for your assistance...tt_wannabe

[outofthefryingpan]

A bibliographic management product such as EndNote or RefWorks might be useful. Ask a librarian or the IT department at your university to find out what's available to you.

good luck!

[outofthefryingpan]

Oh wait, I overlooked the part about how you are in the application stage and not yet in your program.

Are you still affiliated with a college or university? I've only ever used RefWorks through my university's license and I couldn't even tell you if they sell individual packages, let alone what that might cost. So I many not be any help...

[tt_wannabe]

OOTFP:

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, I'm still affliated with a University and they do have EndNote.

I'm not understanding how EndNote can help. (BTW, I have received this advice before and didn't understand it then either.) I'm not asking about how to manage the bibliography at the end of the paper; I'm asking how to find a very specific article (or whatever) in the dozens that I have (but can't remember which article it is) that has a usable quote or fact that I want to include in the paper without having to re-read a dozen articles to find the article I'm interested in. But I admit that I'm not an expert in using EndNote, so maybe there is a way...

Thanks again - tt_wannabe

[sylvie]

With EndNote, you can manage articles by typing in quotations and key words, as well as notes on each source.  You can then search the data base by key word, article or source title, author, etc.

Don't think about it all at once; it's too much to chew.  If you add a source here or there as you go along you will build up your resources.  Don't get overwhelmed by thinking the dissertation as this huge document.  You will write it bit by bit over the course of your studies.  Lit review for one class, the proposal will become chapter one, etc.

[grasshopper]

What Sylvie said. Your dissertation isn't going to be the only thing you'll write during your doctorate. You'll slave over countless papers as well, hopefully all (or most) of which will figure somehow, somewhere in the dissertation. By the time you get to the dissertation stage, you'll probably have constructed key phrases that really get at the heart of what you're doing. You'll have used particular quotations, and particular sources, in more than one paper. You'll know them really, really well. They won't be new and overwhelming. You'll have a clearer understanding of who is important and where and why, instead of this huge pile of books sitting in front of you like a mountain.

As for keeping track, I handwrite all my notes in Hilroy notebooks. I find it easier to remember stuff if I've written it down by hand. Page numbers are clearly referenced down the left-hand margin, and full bibliographic info is at the top of the first page. I write down quotations, summaries, paraphrases, and my own thoughts all together in these notebooks. I also keep running bibliographies for each sub-topic going on Word, which I've usually started before I actually begin the reading. These bibs include books/articles that might be important, and that I may read, as well as ones that I have read. The ones I've read are highlighted.

It's fairly easy to keep track of these through the papers you'll have written during your coursework. Your papers will (hopefully) have made use of your major sources, and will either contain the quotation, or jog your memory enough to go back through the notebooks to find the quotation you want. The bib info is all right there, both in your paper and in your notebook, so even if you can't find the exact quote in your notes, at least you can go back and get the book/article again.

Essentially, what it boils down to is be organized from the beginning, so you don't have to retrace your steps.

[monkfish]

I second the EndNote recommendation--not because of the quality of the program (it is a buggy piece of...) but because it is the best option out there. It does so much more than create bibliographies, and works as a handy database of just about anything you use, including your notes (EndNote is really two programs: a straightforward database covered by a simple, if inelegant, interface, and plugins for bibliographies). With a student or faculty ID, you should be able to get EndNote for about $100 and it is worth it. You can also get a free demo from the webpage.

[meuks]

Endnote and a thesis binder got me through my dissertation - there is a lot of good info for grad students (including setting up a binder to manage your thesis) in the postings over at phinished.org

My thesis binder ended up with calendars in the front (both monthly and weekly) to keep track of deadlines, a section with the grad school's thesis requirements, a section of ideas and thoughts of things that I wanted to add in at some point, and then sections for each potential chapter.  The very first sheet of paper in each section was an evolving list of things to do.  I started with a 0.5 inch binder and ended with a crammed 3 incher.  As I finished, I would replace each section with the completed chapter - I found it very motivating to see my thesis grow :) 

[iomhaigh]

I have to say, I absolutely loathe Endnote except as a means of creating a bibliography.  Even then, however, their idea of how things should look in Chicago 15th, for example, is not how they actually should look -- so proofread your bib with a fine-toothed comb.  Yes, you can search your notes by keyword, but if you like your formatted notes to look readable, use Word and just take notes in it.

That said, wait until you get into grad school before you go blowing $100.00 on the software.  Some places, like my grad school, have agreements with publishers and you can get it for free. 

Also, keep in mind that by the time you get to your diss, you'll have written 12-15 pre-publishable quality papers in some fields (or some crazy departments like mine).  You'll be able to write faster and skim faster and decide what is important and what is simply interesting a lot faster by then. 

Otherwise, managing the diss material depends a lot on your field and what kinds of material you are keeping track of.... I use all of the following for my humanities dissertation:

* Four full-size file cabinet drawers with all source docs filed according to subject and sometimes cross-referencing notes are on file folders, other times I just copy the material and store it in two places if appropriate.  I also have all of my secondary source notes printed off of the computer (and saved there as well so that you can scan for ideas like you mention, OP, by keyword.).  All photocopied articles are also in here.

* Binders for source docs that expand beyond an hundred sheets or so of source docs (transcribed, copied, whatever.)

* Bookshelves for secondary materials that I own, separated out from rest of library.

* Various archival boxes and envelopes for actual historical documents that I own (the originals).

* A separate file box (portable) for whatever I am currently working on (chapter-wise) and with all crucial documents (instructions from the grad school, etc.) on it.  This also includes library guidelines, folders for "get this in there somewhere" and "go find this lead" and "deal with this in the book version," etc. 

As others have noted, you'll be familiar with a lot of your materials by the time you sit down to write, particularly if any of your exams cover your sources.  And there are days when you'll get stuck and just open the file drawer and start skimming over the appropriate file to jog your memory or get you started.  You won't read the material once and then never read it again -- I found it to be a constant process of revisiting materials -- in part because when you read it the first time, you aren't reading it with the same knowledge of your subject that you have when you skim it over a year later.  You'll see connections, etc., that you never saw before because you hadn't run across an idea or person yet. 

Of course, this is only my experience in trying to write a history of something which has no secondary source material available for perusal and which was not covered in any of my classes.  You may be smart and pick a topic that is not so reliant upon archival materials and old documents and the like.  You may also be smart and write floater topic papers in classes and then pick one of those to do instead of something you've never written on before. 

 

[brunhilde]

I agree with the recommendations to use Endnote. In addition to storing the bibliographic information, you can write notes in Endnote on each article. If I need to find an article and can't quite remember the author or the title, I search the keywords or the notes section. You can also create user-defined fields in Endnote. I have a field that specifies where my copy of the article is (my various papers are either saved electronically if I download a pdf from an online database, photocopies that I keep in a file cabinet, or in the actual issues of the journals I subscribe to). This helps me locate the actual article so I can read it again if I need to.

iomhaigh said that the Endnote version of Chicago 15th is not accurate. I tend to use APA and I haven't noticed any problems. You can create your own reference style to address any of those problems. I have run into some problems with the interface with Word. It's not perfect, but I think it helps me a lot.

I have a plastic crate that organizes my dissertation files. Hanging files for everything I need to keep track of (each chapter, field contacts, survey data results, analytic memos). When I have a meeting, I can just pull out the right file. I also have a timeline and a list of things that need to get done.

I have a writing log where I keep track of brief notes about what I write each time I sit down and what I want to do the next time I write. This helps me remember what I was doing in between writing sessions.

I also keep track of how many hours I work each day. This is more about procrastination than about organizing thoughts. If I spend 2 hours playing mindsweeper rather than working, then there is a big whole in my work schedule.

Finally, I second (third) what others have said about how you will be much better prepared once you reach the dissertation stage. That's what the first couple years of grad school are about. One day, tt_wannabe, you will be struggling to fit your dissertation into a 5 page summary.

[monkfish]

A couple of thoughts on EndNote: I agree that their output styles (reference formats) are sometimes a bit off but it is very easy to change or make your own styles. If you do end up getting the program, it is worth taking a few hours to really know it. Once you get past the clunky interface, you can actually do quite a bit with it. Because it allows you to store notes along with each reference, you can easily store quotes, comments, and cross-references with each individual reference. I resisted EndNote for a long time, but finally ended up getting it for qualifying exams, and it has really been worth it.

Regarding general organizational stuff, I found that starting the dissertation was in some ways to start graduate school all over again. The experience of accumulating your own data in a foreign country, keeping track of all of it across multiple formats (audio, text, images, etc.), and trying to figure out what it all says is daunting. Whatever finely honed organizational skills you have gotten in graduate school up to that point may seem irrelevant but the more you have your basic 'logistics' down, the easier it will be to focus on what is important.

Personally, I use EndNote for all everyday keeping track of readings and such. Whenever I read something, i enter it into EndNote, label it according to what project I was reading it for along with other keywords, and my notes on the text along with specific quotes, figures, or whatever I may need later. In a few cases, I paste the whole document into EndNote. For my research materials, I am a big fan of binders. While expensive (I have to order mine from a special importer for A4 size), they allow me to store photocopies, transcripts, and the like in a quick and easy way, and the binders can be color coded by research site, theme, or whatever. I also got special pockets to go along with them that hold CDs and business cards and other things, so I can store backups of audio files and the like with the relevant hardcopy data.

I dont keep any writing logs or similar things, though I try to be disciplined with my spare time and use my office for only writing and save 'fun' internet stuff, shopping, and the like to home. I found that the by far best productivity tool was getting my own office. During the semesters, I make extensive use of outlook and other such programs to schedule my time, but I tend to let that fall by the wayside during the summer.

For everything else, I have a massive filing cabinet full of hanging folders where everything non-electronic, non-research goes. I have one folder (or more) for each class I have taught (or took in graduate school), one folder for random syllabi I have gotten from other people, one folder for misc. teaching aids I have yet to use, and so on.

What I have found out, however, is that different people vary enormously in terms of what works for them organizationally. The important thing is that you get a system that works for you. You dont want a system that is so elaborate you need a manual or reference guide to it--then it is probably not working.

[tt_wannabe]

Thank you all. You have given me great suggestions and a sense that this is doable :) Now I am beginning to understand how to use EndNote. I will be putting in the investment of time to learn it. I got a brief (1 hour) tutorial on it, but that was a while back, so I know I need some quality time with it, warts and all.

Sylvie: Thanks for starting us off onthe EndNote discussion. This could be the most valuable piece of info I got from this.

grasshopper: your point about organization is well taken. It seems that everyone had versions fo that as well. Thanks.

iomhaigh, re: your comment:

in part because when you read it the first time, you aren't reading it with the same knowledge of your subject that you have when you skim it over a year later.  You'll see connections, etc., that you never saw before because you hadn't run across an idea or person yet.

Thank you. I've held this thought for some time but have never been able to articulate quite as eloquently as you did. It helped to read it to realize that is what I've experienced in the past with other learning situations.

starting_search: A fabulous idea about using a custom field for notes about where articles are physically located. Thanks.

monkfish: thanks for your input. Do you create a custom field for pasting the entire article in? How do you do that? (Remember that I'm only vaguely familiar with EndNote...)

meuks: I used something similar as your binder method for my Masters with calendars for deadlines, etc. I expect to do something similar.

Thanks again to you all. This was incredibly enlightening.

[grasshopper]

What a helpful thread!

You all have convinced even me (an avid hand-writer) to check out EndNotes.

And the writing log idea is genius! The closest thing I have to that right now is a "dream book" by the side of my bed where I write down my dreams. When I'm in a particularly productive mode, I also use it to write down night time ideas, which means that I end up with an entry about a green monster eating a donut in the cafeteria, followed by a partially comprehensible analysis of metaphor or what have you.

A separate book is a great idea - whodathunkit? Certainly not me. Further proof that PhD candidates aren't always as smart as they think they are :)