Skills at Library home

Managing information

Reference management software

Search strategy

★★☆ intermediate

Organising information for your course and research will help you maximise your time, avoid errors, and reduce stress. In contrast, being disorganised creates barriers to productivity and can result in missing out on opportunities and repeating mistakes. Best practice for information management may vary across different areas of study, but being self-organised is a universal skill and an essential part of independent learning.

This section covers the organisation skills needed for Library research and gives an introduction to:

• Managing documents and your digital environment
• Using organisation tools such as reference management software
• Organising your research by creating a search strategy

Jump to the 'Explore more' section below for additional independent learning tips on time management, notetaking, study strategies, and more!

Click to expand presentation: Managing your information

Already confident in your organisation skills? Start the next section on 'Search Strategy' or return to the Skills at Library homepage to select another lesson.

Here's some quick links to help you get organised for Library research:

• Check the Reading List page in the Intro to the Library lesson for a reminder of how to access your course readings and use features to organise your reading. 
• When you first access an online reading, take time to explore the platform. 
• You may want to register for an account on online reading platforms to get access to additional tools and functions.
• For support and tools to make your readings more accessible, check the accessibility page from the Library homepage.

This intro to managing information requires basic information literacy skills, but you may need more advanced data management skills for your research. Continue learning with Skills at Library to develop advanced skills.

Want to learn more about staying organised?

• Keep a look out for our 'Get organised for study & research' open workshop. This session is offered regularly online and in person as part of the Skills at Library open workshop programme, and will give you an opportunity to practice skills, learn alongside your peers, and get instructor feedback.
• Register for our 'Information Skills' course on Moodle to access additional learning exercises and discussions.
• If you haven't already, complete our Academic Skills Audit to assess your current information and academic skills and discover resources to support your development.
• Complete the 'Independent Learning' section of the Skills@Essex Moodle course.
• Find out more about self-organisation skills, such as time management and note-taking strategies, by exploring the support offered by Skills for Success.
• Explore the digital skills support available at Essex.

Acknowledgements

This page was adapted with thanks from a presentation created by Dale Shaffer-Morrison (2023) ‘Conducting Efficient Literature Reviews.'

Except where otherwise noted, this work by University of Essex Library and Cultural Services is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.