keeping records

I had no idea when I embarked on this doctoral path that it isn't about ideas at all. It's all about clerical work - finding materials, synthesising them and keeping records.

It's the latter that has had me busy for the last few days. Over the years you do a bunch of reading, write reports and essays and then pat yourself on the back for a job well done. But a doctorate is quantitatively different because it's a much longer term project. If you read something today, you may need the information in two years time, or four or five. When your memory has a lot in common with a sieve, how are you supposed to manage that? Solution ... I downloaded EndNote after a nudge from my supervisor. Of course I'm expecting that it will record the bibliographic information, find materials, synthesise them, pop out relevant material at the press of a button and do the dishes. One can only hope.