Q. Are there any tools available to help me organize my sources?
Most of our library databases have options to create your own account within their platform (e.g. EBSCO, ProQuest, Google Scholar) to save and organize sources. However, these don't work to save sources from multiple platforms.
To organize sources you find from different platforms, there are stand-alone options called citation management software. If you have an in-depth project, it might be worth your time to learn one of these tools. Most have the ability to:
- Export citations from most databases and websites.
- Save a limited number of PDFs (check storage size)
- Share citations.
- Cite while writing a paper.
Popular citation management software options include:
- Refworks: ProQuest. Free to Radford University faculty, students, and staff through DOIT's subscription.
- Zotero: Open-source developed at GMU. Free.
- EndNote Desktop: Clarivate, fee-based.
- Mendeley: Elsevier. Free.
Some researchers prefer organizing with other technologies; spreadsheets, folders, or other techniques.