| Container |
Description |
Pros and Cons
|
Examples |
| Documents |
Set up text files or word processing documents with copied-and-pasted URLs. |
Pro: Easy to access and use. Portable on a flash drive or via email.
Con: Difficult to organize, find and update items.
|
your preferred word processing software
|
File manager applications
|
Create shortcuts to websites with the My Computer icon or Windows Explorer. |
Pro: Easy to access and use.
Con: Not portable—toolbox resides only on your computer.
|
your preferred file management program (depends on your operating system, such as Windows or Mac)
|
Web browser
|
Make bookmarks or favorites in your web browser; categorize them using the Organize Bookmarks feature. |
Pro: Easy to access and use.
Con: Can be difficult to organize and find items. Not portable—bookmarks and favorites reside only on your computer. |
|
| Web browser home page |
Set up an iGoogle or My Yahoo! page with “gadgets” such as notepads and a blog reader. |
Pro: Easy to access, portable.
Con: Requires Internet access.
|
|
Note-taking applications
|
Programs such as Evernote or OneNote let you clip and capture pages and URLs.
|
Pro: Easy to use and search. Smart phone app available.
Con: Web-based applications require internet access.
|
|
Social bookmarking sites
|
Sites such as Diigo and StumbleUpon let you build and share a collection of bookmarks.
|
Pro: Free. Easy to access and search. Can share with others.
Con: Requires internet access. Anyone can change content, depending on settings.
|
|
Blog or website
|
Use Blogger to create your own blog or Weebly to create a website to store and share your resources.
|
Pro: Free. Easy to create. Can share with others.
Con: Time consuming to keep updated. Difficult to locate items unless you add a search function.
|
|
Wiki
|
Create a wiki—an online encyclopedia—of resources using free programs such as PBWorks, WikiSpaces or ZohoWiki.
|
Pro: Free. Easy to create. Can share and collaborate with others.
Con: Requires Internet access. Anyone can change content, depending on settings.
|
|
Toolbar
|
Programs such as Meebo or Wibiya let you create a toolbar to store your content. Install the toolbar locally (on your computer) or publicly (on a blog or website).
|
Pro: Great visual appearance.
Easy to use.
Con: May be difficult to install and update. The toolbar sits at the bottom of a blog or website, out of a user’s sightline.
|
|
Online storage site
|
Almost any site where you can store data, such as Google Docs or Dropbox, can store your research resources.
|
Pro: Free. Easy to use and access. Can share with others.
Con: Requires internet access. Anyone can change content depending on settings.
|
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