Has anyone ever written a book that involved a lot of online research?

[XemaSab]

How do you keep track of everything?

Like, I've got dozens of blogs and forums to sift through, and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. :o

[Ptah]

1. I would try to make a LARGE Word document

:shrug:

[some guy]

2. N.

I think I would start by making a new folder for bookmarks, and put all relevant websites there. Additionally, I'd create a Word doc or something that contained the urls to the websites used, and include a short paragraph about what was at the link.

eg

www.thisisausefulsite.com

at this website I found the information relating to migration patterns of unpaired turkey hawks.

then once you feel you have all your research materials gathered, you can alphabetize them, or order them in some other fashion.

:shrug:

[Odin2005]

3. For my alternative history stuff I use LOTS of bookmarks.

I'm currently working on an alternative history involving Caesar not being assassinated.

http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=216613

(that is a great message board, BTW)

[Brickbat]

4. I have not tried it, but I have heard that Scrivener is an amazing program for keeping track of

writing.

http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php

It's just what I've heard, so I don't know. There are a lot of programs out there for authors to keep track of what they're writing; maybe they would work for someone cutting and pasting info from websites for research.

[cherish44]

5. I do a lot of web research for my writing at work

Bookmarks and printing out pages, sometimes copy/paste text to a word doc and put in a file. You can get a lot of great information if you email or call the people who run the website you're using for research. Most of them love to talk their hobby/interest/obsessions :)

[XemaSab]

6. Thanks for the advice

Somehow I strongly doubt that these people want to talk to me. :D