Most graduate students work with a huge amount of information, in different formats and for different purposes. Managing this information and these study resources effectively is vital. This includes storing information safely and facilitating retrieval, referencing accurately, and keeping track of reading, images or data. It incorporates both information and data that you create yourself - such as notes or assignment drafts - as well as the information and data you use that is generated by others.
In this section of CamGuides we'll cover some of the key strategies that you might try out to manage your information. These all represent good practice, but you should select and adopt strategies that work for you, that will be sustainable, and that you feel confident about. The time before your course begins is a good time to think critically about these, and to reflect on what you might be able to put into place now in order to manage your information for your Master's year and (perhaps) beyond.
One practical tip I'd give to students is to have storage devices other than your laptop in place well in advance ... and start storing your work early on.
- MPhil International Development student
To complete this section, you'll need:
What's your information profile? Understanding how you work, and will need to work, with information is central to managing information effectively.
What kinds of information do you work with? (e.g. research data, photographs, law reports, books, journals). What kinds of information do you create? What is the format of this information? Where are you when you work with it?
All of these differentials will have an impact on the ways in which you manage information.
Image credits
CC0 by Sanwal Deen via Unsplash