Bibliography and Source Log

Who this is for

Every source written down at the moment you read it. One row holds who wrote it, what it is called, when it came out, where it was published or found, and which pages you actually used — so the reference list writes itself later.

Students writing essays, dissertations or reports, and anyone doing research who has spent an evening trying to find again the one book they read three weeks ago.

What this helps you track

• What kind of source each one is — book, chapter, article, website or something else
• Author, title, year and publisher or link, recorded while the source is in front of you
• Where you found it: a library, a database, a shelf mark, a website
• The pages, sections or quotations you actually took something from
• Which sources have made it into the piece and which are still just read

How to use it

1. Write your name, the essay or project title and the date at the top.
2. Add a row the moment you use a source, not at the end — the end is when the details go missing.
3. Fill in author, title and year exactly as they appear on the source itself, including the edition where there is one.
4. Record where you found it and, for anything online, the link and the date you read it.
5. Note the pages, chapters or quotations you took something from, so you can check them again without rereading the whole thing.
6. Tick 'cited' as each source goes into the piece, then write the reference list in whichever style you have been asked for.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Which citation style does it use?

None. The columns hold the details every style needs; you arrange them into whatever style your course, journal or teacher asks for. That varies by subject and institution, so imposing one here would help nobody.

Why record the date I read a website?

Most styles ask for it, because pages change and disappear. Writing it down at the time costs nothing and saves guessing later.

What if I read something and do not use it?

Keep the row and leave the cited box unticked. Knowing what you have already looked at and rejected stops you reading it twice.

Can I use it for a group project?

Yes. Add the reader's initials in the notes column so the group can see who found what, and keep one shared sheet rather than three overlapping ones.