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Organizing Your Research

Suggested Information to Track

Keeping a 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.

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

Downloads

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

Research Diary Templates

Research Worksheet
Guided research worksheet. Printable and suitable for in-class or take-home activities. (Link will automatically add a copy to your Google Drive.)
Note-Taking Template for Journal Articles
Template for notes on individual articles. From UNC Chapel Hill.
Literature Review Worksheet
Literature review template in Google Sheets

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