Citation Management Tools
Examples of tools with a cost:
Endnote: https://endnote.com/ (paid)
Mendeley: https://www.mendeley.com/reference-management/mendeley-desktop (free)
“Conceptual Synthesis Excel Dump” Technique
Aside from pen and paper, many researchers and scholars use spreadsheets to manage their literature reviews. Raul Pacheco-Vega (assistant professor in the Public Administration Division of the Centre for Economic Research and Teaching, CIDE in Aguascalientes, Mexico) calls this technique the Conceptual Synthesis Excel Dump. By inputting all the pertinent information from each source into the spreadsheet, you can create an effective map of the current literature. Pacheco-Vega’s blog includes screen captures and shows how columns in the spreadsheet are organized. Link is below to template from this blog. Here is my beginning to explore using it with your assignment:
Elaine Campbell (Senior Lecturer at Northumbria Law School) also uses spreadsheet software to organize information for her reviews. In her blogpost How I use Excel to manage my Literature Review, she says that spreadsheets allow her to sort data by the year of publication and group similar concepts together. She can also organize her thoughts on different writers’ points of view, and other pertinent information such as ethical concerns.