how to write research log book

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Research Log Guidelines

A research log helps writers keep track of what they read and record their own responses to sources as part of their research process This note-taking strategy helps writers become actively involved with the material and clarifies their understanding of the topic while identifying connections (and disconnects) among different sources.  

Task: 

• What is significant about this information?
• What does this quotation or paraphrase remind you of?
• In what way is this aligned with what other source authors have said?
• In what way is this different from what other source authors have said?   

RESEARCH LOG ENTRY 1

Source title:  Source author(s):  Source type and location:   DOI, if applicable:

Quotation 1 from the source + paraphrase:

Response and/or reflections:.

• In what way is this different from what other source authors have said?  

Quotation 2 from the source + paraphrase:

Quotation 3 from the source + paraphrase:, quotation 4 from the source + paraphrase:.

• In what way is this different from what other source authors have said?      

RESEARCH LOG ENTRY 2

Source title:  Source author(s):  Source type and location:  DOI, if applicable:

• In what way is this different from what other source authors have said?    
• In what way is this different from what other source authors have said?  

RESEARCH LOG ENTRY 3

Research log entry 4, research log entry 5.

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This material was developed by the KSU Writing Center based on original content ( Double-Entry Research Log Guidelines ) and is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . All materials created by the KSU Writing Center are free to use and can be adopted, adapted, and/or shared at will as long as the materials are attributed. Please keep this information on materials you adapt, adopt, and/or share.  

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Using a Research Log

There’s two major reasons for using a research log :

1.) It will keep you organized.   Rather than jotting notes in a notebook, filling in the required information for each column in a research log will ensure you’ve collected the needed information before moving on to the next source. You won’t have to keep returning to previous sources or struggle to remember how you found a source because your search terms and databases are in the log. You’ll also never lose a source or forget where a quote came from.

2) It will help you compare  your evidence. Having the evidence from all of  the sources in one place lets you look at the data side-by-side to evaluate which items would be best to include in your paper. Looking at all of the evidence in a research log can also help you refine your thesis before you begin drafting.

If you have to write a paper that requires research, this tool can save you a significant amount of time, and it could eliminate stress later on in your writing process.

Here’s a template for a Research Log

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Designing Better Research Assignments

• Do's and Don'ts
• Unresearch Paper
• Everything But the Paper
• Compare Sources

Research Log

• Research Questions
• Course Research Guides
• Shopping for a Research Topic
• Class Discussion Topics

Have students keep a diary of their research process for their assignment/project. Diary entries could include:

• Descriptions of research sessions including their most productive (as well as least productive) search strings (including any limits).
• Record which research tools were used as well as best keywords or subject terms.
• Reflections on how their approach to researching the topic potentially changed (or not) based on search results and 'reading' the search results.
• Summarize pivot points during the research process where the students decided to broaden or narrow their topic.  Students reflect on why and how they pivoted from their original question/topic.
• Option: Student records a short, narrated screenrecording of their research process, reflecting on what they learned during this process.
• Database Searching Screenrecording Assignment Sample assignment instructions created by an Ohio State Librarian. Students demonstrate their ability to use a database.

University of Connecticut Library. Alternatives to Research Papers. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://lib.uconn.edu/services/instruction/alternatives-to-research-papers/

• << Previous: Compare Sources
• Next: Research Questions >>
• Last Updated: May 7, 2024 9:06 AM
• URL: https://montclair.libguides.com/design-research-assignments

• University of Texas Libraries
• UT Libraries

Information Literacy Toolkit

Research log.

• Welcome to the Toolkit
• Assignment design rubric for research assignments
• Information Literacy rubric
• Annotated Bibliography
• Avoiding Plagiarism Tutorial
• Background Information and Class Expert
• Citation managers and research organization skills
• Comparing Sources
• Developing a Research Question
• Developing and Researching a Controversy
• Digital Projects
• Everything But the Paper
• News and Media Literacy
• Primary Source Literacy
• How to Read a Scholarly Source (humanities)
• How to Read a Scholarly Source (sciences/social sciences)
• Research Question Abstract
• Self-Guided Tour of PCL This link opens in a new window
• Source Analysis/Evaluation
• Using Scholarly Sources (Synthesizing Sources)
• Why Use Sources Exercise
• Write for Wikipedia
• LAH 350: Treasure Hunt in Campus Archives: Discovering Islands of Order, Creating Original Humanities Research Projects
• RHE 368C: Writing Center Internship
• TC 302: Pathways to Civic Engagement
• UGS 303: Jerusalem
• UGS 303: Modern Day Slavery
• UGS 302: Social Inequality and Education in Latin America
• UGS 302: Tales of Troy
• Guides for Students
• Open Educational Resources (OERs) This link opens in a new window

Assignment Description

• Request a tailored assignment or session with a librarian

Suggested web-based solutions for research logs

• Google Drive (Documents) Google Documents are easy to use, can be accessed from any device at any time, and allow students and the instructor to see who is contributing with the "history" feature. - Cons - at least one student must have a Google account. - Pros - easy to see who has added what, can be shared with group members who don't have an account
• Padlet Padlet users can create a virtual bulletin board where they can post links and text, organized any way. - Cons - At least one student (or the instructor) has to have an account - Pros - easy to organize items by topic, flexible, easy to use.
• Toolkit Feedback If you use toolkit materials or notice an omission, please give us feedback.
• Research Log Assignment - Google Drive Link
• Research Log Assignment - Download Link
• Research Log Rubric
• Last Updated: Apr 11, 2024 7:44 AM
• URL: https://guides.lib.utexas.edu/toolkit

ENGL 1001: Written Expression

• Library Tutorials
• Before You Search

Introduction & Materials

Sample research log.

• Things to Notice in the Sample Log
• Find Articles
• Cite Your Sources
• Ask a Librarian This link opens in a new window

As you conduct your research for Portfolio Two, we ask that you keep track of your research process by using a Research Log. The research log can help you:

• Keep track of what you are looking for and how that changes during the process
• Keep track of where and how you looked for information
• Reflect on what you've done and identify next steps
• Prepare you to have a conversation about your research with your instructor, a librarian, or a Writing Center tutor.
• Research Log Use this track and assess your progress as you look for research information.

Here is the first page of research log for a person just starting to do their research.

Observations

• << Previous: Before You Search
• Next: Find Articles >>
• Last Updated: Sep 26, 2024 5:38 PM
• URL: https://researchguides.uvm.edu/english1

Course Info

Grading Policy

Computers and Software

Maintaining a Logbook

Experiments

13.5 Research Process: Making Notes, Synthesizing Information, and Keeping a Research Log

Learning outcomes.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Employ the methods and technologies commonly used for research and communication within various fields.
• Practice and apply strategies such as interpretation, synthesis, response, and critique to compose texts that integrate the writer’s ideas with those from appropriate sources.
• Analyze and make informed decisions about intellectual property based on the concepts that motivate them.
• Apply citation conventions systematically.

As you conduct research, you will work with a range of “texts” in various forms, including sources and documents from online databases as well as images, audio, and video files from the Internet. You may also work with archival materials and with transcribed and analyzed primary data. Additionally, you will be taking notes and recording quotations from secondary sources as you find materials that shape your understanding of your topic and, at the same time, provide you with facts and perspectives. You also may download articles as PDFs that you then annotate. Like many other students, you may find it challenging to keep so much material organized, accessible, and easy to work with while you write a major research paper. As it does for many of those students, a research log for your ideas and sources will help you keep track of the scope, purpose, and possibilities of any research project.

A research log is essentially a journal in which you collect information, ask questions, and monitor the results. Even if you are completing the annotated bibliography for Writing Process: Informing and Analyzing , keeping a research log is an effective organizational tool. Like Lily Tran’s research log entry, most entries have three parts: a part for notes on secondary sources, a part for connections to the thesis or main points, and a part for your own notes or questions. Record source notes by date, and allow room to add cross-references to other entries.

Summary of Assignment: Research Log

Your assignment is to create a research log similar to the student model. You will use it for the argumentative research project assigned in Writing Process: Integrating Research to record all secondary source information: your notes, complete publication data, relation to thesis, and other information as indicated in the right-hand column of the sample entry.

Another Lens. A somewhat different approach to maintaining a research log is to customize it to your needs or preferences. You can apply shading or color coding to headers, rows, and/or columns in the three-column format (for colors and shading). Or you can add columns to accommodate more information, analysis, synthesis, or commentary, formatting them as you wish. Consider adding a column for questions only or one for connections to other sources. Finally, consider a different visual format , such as one without columns. Another possibility is to record some of your comments and questions so that you have an aural rather than a written record of these.

Writing Center

At this point, or at any other point during the research and writing process, you may find that your school’s writing center can provide extensive assistance. If you are unfamiliar with the writing center, now is a good time to pay your first visit. Writing centers provide free peer tutoring for all types and phases of writing. Discussing your research with a trained writing center tutor can help you clarify, analyze, and connect ideas as well as provide feedback on works in progress.

Quick Launch: Beginning Questions

You may begin your research log with some open pages in which you freewrite, exploring answers to the following questions. Although you generally would do this at the beginning, it is a process to which you likely will return as you find more information about your topic and as your focus changes, as it may during the course of your research.

• What information have I found so far?
• What do I still need to find?
• Where am I most likely to find it?

These are beginning questions. Like Lily Tran, however, you will come across general questions or issues that a quick note or freewrite may help you resolve. The key to this section is to revisit it regularly. Written answers to these and other self-generated questions in your log clarify your tasks as you go along, helping you articulate ideas and examine supporting evidence critically. As you move further into the process, consider answering the following questions in your freewrite:

• What evidence looks as though it best supports my thesis?
• What evidence challenges my working thesis?
• How is my thesis changing from where it started?

Creating the Research Log

As you gather source material for your argumentative research paper, keep in mind that the research is intended to support original thinking. That is, you are not writing an informational report in which you simply supply facts to readers. Instead, you are writing to support a thesis that shows original thinking, and you are collecting and incorporating research into your paper to support that thinking. Therefore, a research log, whether digital or handwritten, is a great way to keep track of your thinking as well as your notes and bibliographic information.

In the model below, Lily Tran records the correct MLA bibliographic citation for the source. Then, she records a note and includes the in-text citation here to avoid having to retrieve this information later. Perhaps most important, Tran records why she noted this information—how it supports her thesis: The human race must turn to sustainable food systems that provide healthy diets with minimal environmental impact, starting now . Finally, she makes a note to herself about an additional visual to include in the final paper to reinforce the point regarding the current pressure on food systems. And she connects the information to other information she finds, thus cross-referencing and establishing a possible synthesis. Use a format similar to that in Table 13.4 to begin your own research log.

Types of Research Notes

Taking good notes will make the research process easier by enabling you to locate and remember sources and use them effectively. While some research projects requiring only a few sources may seem easily tracked, research projects requiring more than a few sources are more effectively managed when you take good bibliographic and informational notes. As you gather evidence for your argumentative research paper, follow the descriptions and the electronic model to record your notes. You can combine these with your research log, or you can use the research log for secondary sources and your own note-taking system for primary sources if a division of this kind is helpful. Either way, be sure to include all necessary information.

Bibliographic Notes

These identify the source you are using. When you locate a useful source, record the information necessary to find that source again. It is important to do this as you find each source, even before taking notes from it. If you create bibliographic notes as you go along, then you can easily arrange them in alphabetical order later to prepare the reference list required at the end of formal academic papers. If your instructor requires you to use MLA formatting for your essay, be sure to record the following information:

• Title of source
• Title of container (larger work in which source is included)
• Other contributors
• Publication date

When using MLA style with online sources, also record the following information:

• Date of original publication
• Date of access
• DOI (A DOI, or digital object identifier, is a series of digits and letters that leads to the location of an online source. Articles in journals are often assigned DOIs to ensure that the source can be located, even if the URL changes. If your source is listed with a DOI, use that instead of a URL.)

It is important to understand which documentation style your instructor will require you to use. Check the Handbook for MLA Documentation and Format and APA Documentation and Format styles . In addition, you can check the style guide information provided by the Purdue Online Writing Lab .

Informational Notes

These notes record the relevant information found in your sources. When writing your essay, you will work from these notes, so be sure they contain all the information you need from every source you intend to use. Also try to focus your notes on your research question so that their relevance is clear when you read them later. To avoid confusion, work with separate entries for each piece of information recorded. At the top of each entry, identify the source through brief bibliographic identification (author and title), and note the page numbers on which the information appears. Also helpful is to add personal notes, including ideas for possible use of the information or cross-references to other information. As noted in Writing Process: Integrating Research , you will be using a variety of formats when borrowing from sources. Below is a quick review of these formats in terms of note-taking processes. By clarifying whether you are quoting directly, paraphrasing, or summarizing during these stages, you can record information accurately and thus take steps to avoid plagiarism.

Direct Quotations, Paraphrases, and Summaries

A direct quotation is an exact duplication of the author’s words as they appear in the original source. In your notes, put quotation marks around direct quotations so that you remember these words are the author’s, not yours. One advantage of copying exact quotations is that it allows you to decide later whether to include a quotation, paraphrase, or summary. ln general, though, use direct quotations only when the author’s words are particularly lively or persuasive.

A paraphrase is a restatement of the author’s words in your own words. Paraphrase to simplify or clarify the original author’s point. In your notes, use paraphrases when you need to record details but not exact words.

A summary is a brief condensation or distillation of the main point and most important details of the original source. Write a summary in your own words, with facts and ideas accurately represented. A summary is useful when specific details in the source are unimportant or irrelevant to your research question. You may find you can summarize several paragraphs or even an entire article or chapter in just a few sentences without losing useful information. It is a good idea to note when your entry contains a summary to remind you later that it omits detailed information. See Writing Process Integrating Research for more detailed information and examples of quotations, paraphrases, and summaries and when to use them.

Other Systems for Organizing Research Logs and Digital Note-Taking

Students often become frustrated and at times overwhelmed by the quantity of materials to be managed in the research process. If this is your first time working with both primary and secondary sources, finding ways to keep all of the information in one place and well organized is essential.

Because gathering primary evidence may be a relatively new practice, this section is designed to help you navigate the process. As mentioned earlier, information gathered in fieldwork is not cataloged, organized, indexed, or shelved for your convenience. Obtaining it requires diligence, energy, and planning. Online resources can assist you with keeping a research log. Your college library may have subscriptions to tools such as Todoist or EndNote. Consult with a librarian to find out whether you have access to any of these. If not, use something like the template shown in Figure 13.8 , or another like it, as a template for creating your own research notes and organizational tool. You will need to have a record of all field research data as well as the research log for all secondary sources.

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