Hi everyone!

So on Friday I have been told I have to write another lit review! OK. Just stay calm! :-) I've read all your great tips and now it's time to check them in real life! Thanks for your help!

I've started dictating notes (using Dragon) while I am reading - I can get much more down on paper doing it this way than with my previous method of read a bit, write a note, read a bit, write a note. (when handwriting notes I use a red pen for my comments or things to follow up so with Dragon I put them in brackets with identified as my comment then at the end I go through and switch those to red)

I organise the journal papers according to themes with front cover sheet and note of the theme and then keep them together with a huge ring so i can immediately locate what I need. I did take copious notes before but I find that it's easier to keep pertinent matters and follow up points in note books according to the themes in my PhD. Like the idea of Dragon, might try it.

I find using software is the easiest way to manage my papers. Trying to keep track of notes can become almost as hard as trying to keep track of the papers themselves. For me, the qiqqa software has a really nice way of storing pdf's (much similar to Mendeley) and it includes an integrated mind-mapping tool. The mind-mapping tool is used and linked with the pdf's. Mendeley have a similar tool called Sciplore Mindmapping. It is not integrated into Mendeley but looks easy enough to combine along side.

To do all this though, you have to have a nice big screen ;-)

I am currently sorting things in Mendeley via the use of folders. I'm not sure it is the most effective way, but seems to be working for now.

I found this guide from phdcomics which I blogged, http://www.indoctorate.co.uk/2011/01/reading-scientific-papers.html, which shows how to 'Decipher Academes'. I found it quite funny:

"Results were found through direct experimentation" = "We played around with it until it works"
"These results suggest that" = "If we take a huge leap in reasoning, we can get more mileage out of our data"
"Remains an open question" = "We have no clue either"

And a few others hehe.

There are number of ways for reading papers and get the summer with in few minutes.It saves both time and returns the result quickly.You can take speed reading classes for improving your speed and get the required result in time.For more information visit http://www.speedreadingclasses.org/ and get the required tips for improving your skills.