Hello All,

I used to read a lot of papers and most of them are pdf downloads with a random name something like (2928393a.pdf) - sometimes I rename it and give it specific name, since they are related to one area so I can't create folders to categorize them. when I read a paper, I move it to folder name 'old', I am sure this will not work for long and is not a proper approach,

I am just wondering how you manage research papers? and how write/store information from a paper for your own usage? (for example, if I want to take a definition from a paper, how should I manage to know that I have taken a definition from it and need to give a reference and where the paper is saved)? :)

Thanks

I used EndNote to organise what I'd read. Because I'm a humanities student most of my papers/books were in print format, so I need a big bookshelf and filing cabinet at home to store them all! But the same principle applies. I use a field in EndNote to record where I've stored the copy of the paper - and that works for the rare PDF copies I have as well.

Because I was a part-time PhD student, over 6 years, plus with severe memory problems due to progressive brain damage, I'd forgotten most of the things I'd read years earlier. But luckily EndNote remembered them all for me, and my bibliography at the end was nice and full :)

Endnotes a lifesaver. Specially with how you can organise papers into different lists.

For the actual pdf's I name them 'Author, date, brief title' and then alphabetise them in folders (A to C etc), normally backed up across a couple of drives. If I need papers covering a certain area I can check endnote and then find them in my folders. I tend to only print out or have physical copies if I need to make notes on the move.

I used JabRef and it allows you to store links to where you a) downloaded it from originally and b) where it is stored on your computer. Really good so it means you can see the paper details and also a link.

I also use endNote and honestly, it has save me countless hours when writing papers!

My system is:
1. Name all PDF files as "Author year"
2. Copy abstract of each paper in EndNote (so that you are reminded of what the paper was about quickly)
3. If it's a paper copy, scan it in and covert to PDF (so I have PDF of all papers)

I invested in a really fast scanner (scansnap), and I spent a morning scanning all of my papers in... I've never had to print out and carry loads of heavy physical papers since - it's brilliant!

I'm in the early stages of my PhD and so now is the time to get my references sorted.  I keep thinking about endnote but haven't used it. I can use it on site for free but as a part-time (social science) student I am almost never in the university.  I can get a discounted copy for £55 to use at home. Is it worth it?  What's the web version like - could I use that at home and then upload onto the proper version when I do go in?

I was never at the uni so had to buy a copy if I wanted to use EndNote at my base at home. And it was totally worth it, even though I didn't use it to automatically generate footnote references or bibliography. But it did a wonderful job of remembering many many hundreds of journal papers and books, which I would have otherwise forgotten reading.

Jepson, does your uni have a remote desktop access? If so it will probably have endnote loaded on that.

In a bit of a position of ignorance here with regards to endnote web, but I wouldn't advise buying a copy of endnote for your home computer if you also intend to work at Uni. You would likely end up with two seperate libraries and endnote doesn't like that.

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Double post

I didn't use endnote, but I did use a popular webmail account named after a famous search engine (hint, begins with G - no advertising here...) . It is free and has tons of memory and is fully searchable. So I used to email work and papers as pdfs or word documents to it, or little ideas in emails....so it I typed a word like "pineapple" into the search it would bring up all emails related to that. I found it a great way to remember and remind me of things.

On the Vitae RS blog there has been some discussion on CiteUlike, an online tool. I get very enthusiastic reports on it but haven't got round to using it myself yet.

http://vitae.ac.uk/researchers/92123-205731/Citeulike---keeping-your-bibliography-on-the-web.html

hope that's useful,
Tennie