We had a little discussion recently in our UnDissertation Discussion Group about managing all the references you’ll need to include in your text and reference list.
I can tell you that you so don’t want to use my method from a hundred years ago — pre-personal PCs!! — of having a mountain of colour-coded file cards to be typed in at the last moment. ;-)
One of our Members shared her impressions of EndNote, the citation manager she is using:
I use Endnote - excellent product for someone who thinks s/he may need to change the citing style (push of a button) or will use the same citations often in work. Can also share "libraries". Most university libraries also have automatic download of citations into programs like Endnote. It can be quite a time saver.Can also print out a listing of articles with notes that you put in "this article has poor design, but really good lit review" - to help with future projects.Large universities usually have it in the bookstore for ½ of retail price for students. It cost me about $100 in the bookstore and was worth every penny I paid. Or you can get an older version on-line on ebay, etc.
I personally use something called Citation. It has many of the same features as EndNote ;-).
But if you want to shop around, here is a Wiki comparison of reference management software. I was intrigued by the Zotero option — a free add-on to the Firefox browser — who knew?
If you have something and it’s working for you, ignore this. If not, browse a little and get yourself reference-organized as fast as you can. The sooner you start and incorporate it into your writing, the less painful the whole citation process will be.