It is essential to document your sources of information FROM THE BEGINNING of any research project. Keeping track of sources that you have consulted, evaluated, and eventually used can be tricky. Being organized, as well as possessing previous experience and memory, helps. At the very least, ALWAYS write down the title and the author of a source.

Some helpful hints include:

• When you create a list of sources, check off the items as you cover them and annotate them (write a short comment about each one).
• Create an index card system that works for you.
• Assign each source a number and use that number in parentheses after each piece of information gathered from that source.
• When using online resources, create a word document and always cut-and-paste the SOURCE of the information in addition to the information itself.
• Use quotation marks when copying somebody else's text word-by-word.