- Organising your sources makes writing your literature review easier and more efficient.
- It helps you quickly compare studies and see patterns, themes, or gaps in the research.
Practical Ways to Organise Your References
- Group by theme or question: cluster studies by topic, debate, or sub-question.
- Group by method: separate qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies.
- Timeline views: note how ideas change over time to spot trends and gaps.
Track Key Details
Use a spreadsheet or table to record:
- Author, year, title
- Focus or research question
- Method and sample
- Main findings and limitations
- How it relates to your review (supports, contrasts, fills a gap)
Save Time with Reference Management Tools
like Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote
- Import citations from databases
- Store, tag, and search your references in one place
- Insert citations while writing and generate reference lists in common styles
Tip: Check out the Library’s Mendeley Quick Guide.