In order to be able to demonstrate mastery of the subject-area in due course, I need to develop a consistent and searchable method for tracking my critique of the literature I now need to start reading (so that it’s not all about attaching coloured Post-It notes etc on hardcopies of everything, and then trying to find them). Can I combine the identification of my sources via RefWorks software with comments upon the texts? I need some headings for such comments – eg:
type = methodological / professional / academic material
quality = form, status, or validity of source
author = academic / practitioner / other (and their philosophical standpoint)
subject = business development / community engagement / reflections
summary of arguments
comment on arguments
useful quotations (incl. definitions)
references to other texts
My initial instinct is to set up an Excel spreadsheet for this, enabling me to re-order the data whenever I need lists of similar information.