Organize by assignment first
A giant source library can be useful, but student writing usually happens one assignment at a time. Put sources under the course and paper they belong to so a future paper does not pollute the current draft.
Separate "maybe" from "will use"
Early research creates too many candidates. Use a simple stoplight system: will use, maybe, and no. Keep "maybe" sources until the paper has enough strong evidence, then remove distractions before drafting.
Check DOI, PDF, and source link status
When available, a DOI is a strong metadata anchor. It can help correct authors, article title, journal title, year, volume, issue, and pages. A PDF or stable source link helps you return to the article when the draft needs support.
Give every kept source a role
Useful roles include definition, background, evidence, counterpoint, current trend, method example, professional application, and limitation. If a source has no role, it may not belong in the final paper.
Do not wait until the end to build the reference list
Fix citation metadata while the source is fresh. Waiting until the final Word cleanup makes it harder to know whether a title, author list, DOI, or journal name is wrong.