<center>![library-1147815_1920.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmSSwr7fdKF6ZGJXTHeVWpeDeoQ9THMU5G7xpWeMSGtkxp/library-1147815_1920.jpg)</center>

# There is more information today than ever before.
<hr>

[Research suggests](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130522085217.htm) that 90% of the world's data in 2013 had been generated in the previous two years. That's absolutely staggering. Even when I focus only on issues I truly care about, it's hard to not feel overwhelmed by all the information I come across on a daily basis. Yet while there's more to learn than ever, we're better equipped to manage information than ever before.

# Why Keep Track of Information?
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## 🗂️ Stay informed on issues you care about 🗂️

Here's an example: I'm pursuing a career as a research scientist in the United States, which is often dependent on government funding. If the current presidential administration announces plans to [cut the budget of the National Institutes of Health by 20%](https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/trumps-budget-cuts-nih-funding-by-20-percent/519771/) or [diminish funding for graduate students](https://www.scribd.com/article/353728614/How-President-Trump-S-Proposed-Budget-Cuts-Would-Harm-Early-Career-Scientists) in the sciences, that's something I would like to know. And if [Congress rejects these budget proposals](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/11/us/politics/national-institutes-of-health-budget-trump.html), I should keep tabs that, too.

## ☑️ Readily debunk myths ☑️

Another example: I really like tofu. About once a month I hear someone repeat a popular pseudoscience myth: soy disrupts men's hormones. That's a myth! In fact, two [studies have shown](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19524224) that soy [does not affect men's hormones](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20378106),  and [is associated with reduction of prostate cancer risk](http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/89/4/1155), as well as [reduced breast cancer risk in women](http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0089288). I'm always ready to fight some fake science.

## ⏳ Save time ⏳ 

I never have to crawl through the internet looking for something obscure I read a few months ago. By tracking sources, you can save some serious time.

## 📖 Build a better informed community 📖

If you're talking about something that's really important, 'trust me' is something you should never have to say or hear. Providing sources and builds a stronger and smarter community.

<center>![locker-146137_1280.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmXxjzCsQyRJo2yGTT7F3FcLA2ziQ6oo9iLZ9LxhgHJ4wG/locker-146137_1280.png)</center>

# How to Cite Like A Professional
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## Use software

There are many platforms that help you manage information, such as [Zotero](https://www.zotero.org/), [Mendeley](https://www.mendeley.com/), and [EndNote](http://endnote.com/). Personally, I like Zotero because it is both free and [open source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_model). *(Note: I am not affiliated with or endorsed by Zotero.)* 

## Example: using Zotero

<div class="pull-right">

![Screen Shot 2017-09-15 at 3.05.57 PM.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmPMewbt3dzb6vYsy7aKEaNbvw8eqC1D8N4LETZLdqqiYB/Screen%20Shot%202017-09-15%20at%203.05.57%20PM.png)

</div>


**Save as you go.** With software built into my web-browser, I'm only a click away form saving something important. Once a source is saved, it's easy to **add notes.**

Take a look at my "soy and hormones" folder, which I used earlier in this post to debunk a common myth:

<center>![Screen Shot 2017-09-15 at 1.37.09 AM.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmWMEpE4adDGTakMps3iJV6mT65ECo6D9tJkyMjNdEfUKi/Screen%20Shot%202017-09-15%20at%201.37.09%20AM.png)<br>*Screenshot of a Zotero folder, showing items' attachments and notes*</center>

**With citations saved, you can create a bibliography in seconds** using any citation style. I use APA because it's what my own field of research uses. For example, here's where I found all the info I referenced in this post:

# Sources
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<sup>Alexis Wolfe. (2017, June 13). Trump Budget Proposes Deep Cuts to STEM Education. Retrieved September 15, 2017, from https://www.aip.org/fyi/2017/trump-budget-proposes-deep-cuts-stem-education
<br>EndNote. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2017, from http://endnote.com/
<br>Jacob Carter. (2017, July 13). How President Trump’s Proposed Budget Cuts Would Harm Early Career Scientists. Retrieved September 15, 2017, from https://www.scribd.com/article/353728614/How-President-Trump-S-Proposed-Budget-Cuts-Would-Harm-Early-Career-Scientists
<br>Kelly, N. (2017, March 16). Trump’s Budget Proposal Cuts NIH Funding by 20 Percent. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/trumps-budget-cuts-nih-funding-by-20-percent/519771/
<br>Mendeley - Reference Management Software & Researcher Network. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2017, from https://www.mendeley.com/
<br>Open-source model. (2017, September 14). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Open-source_model&oldid=800565525
<br>Pear, R. (2017, September 11). Congress Rejects Trump Proposals to Cut Health Research Funds. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/11/us/politics/national-institutes-of-health-budget-trump.html
<br>SINTEF. (2013, May 22). Big Data, for better or worse: 90% of world’s data generated over last two years. Retrieved September 15, 2017, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130522085217.htm
<br>Zotero | Home. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2017, from https://www.zotero.org/
</sup>

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