So here is a question for you guys.

You are writing a section of your PhD. You have read about forty or fifty articles that directly relate to that section and that you wish to reference in that section. How do you keep a track of it all?

Do you write condescended half page cheat cheats, memorise everything, leave post-it notes everywhere? How do you keep track of everything you have read so you don't forget to include articles and data?

I copy and paste abstracts into a rolling document, along with any stand-out sentences or ideas from each paper that I particularly want to quote, and work my way through the document when I'm writing.

Same as chickpea.

I keep a folder of papers, printed out usually but also online, and I highlight the important bits with a marker pen. I also like to summarise the paper and staple my notes on the back. Crucially I try not to leave it too long before publishing so that I get an early chance to write things formally. Then for my thesis I largely cut and paste. That has worked perfectly for me and all my published work is now in my thesis. I am on the last chapter but this is work I have dipped in and out of for over 2 years and so I am finding it a nightmare to writeup the literature review for it and also the methods, the work itself, the results and discussion, everything really. The last mile is truly proving the most challenging.

You also absolutely want to be keeping records of things in a referencing package like Bibtex or whatever. You'll regret it if you don't I suspect.