Research Guides: Organizing Your Research: Research Logs

Research Logs

Why keep a research log?

Keeping a research log (or research diary) can help you organize your literature searching time so that you don't duplicate searches, feel lost or overwhelmed and can help you to be a more efficient and successful searcher.

Suggested information to track:

Date
Topic
Where you searched (Library Catalog, ERIC, Google Scholar, etc.)
Keywords or keyword phrases you used
Limits (or filters) you used
Number of results
Subject terms you found
New keywords you encountered
Key authors
Key journals

Sample Templates

Research Diary Worksheet
A sample diary page to download and customize. Add/remove rows and modify as you wish.
Tracking a Literature Review
A simple spreadsheet that you can recreate in Google Sheets or save locally on your computer. Modify as you wish.

Note-Taking Templates

The Cornell Note-Taking System
Learn about the Cornell note taking system through a Canvas module designed by Cornell University's Learning Strategies Center.
Note-Taking
A comprehensive breakdown of several approaches to the note-taking process. Written by Erin Stapleton-Corcoran of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence at the University of Illinois Chicago.
Note-Taking Template for Journal Articles
Template for notes on individual articles. From UNC Chapel Hill.