1. Schedule! -Write up a schedule with a series of milestones to accomplish by a specific date
2. Start, don’t end, with Wikipedia. - get a good overview of the subject you’re writing about
3. Mine bibliographies. - skim through the bibliography and note down anything whose title sounds relevant
4. Have a research question in mind. - keep focused by working towards an answer to your research question.
5. Deal with one piece at a time.
6. Use a system. - make sure that every quote, fact, and thought is tied in some way to its source.
7. Know your resources. - get to know the research material you can access from home.
8. Ask for help. - Most librarians will be happy to help you find relevant material 
9. Carry an idea book. - Keep a small notebook and a pen with you everywhere 
10. Bring it up to date. - Google the major researchers whose work you’ve found and see if you can find their homepages

Via lifehack.org