I stopped drowning in PDFs when I stopped "reading" and started "interrogating."

[DArlin]

The #1 mistake? Reading papers like novels—cover to cover, hoping wisdom osmosis happens.
Stop summarizing. Start comparing.
The Matrix Method :

[th]Author[/th][th]Key Argument[/th][th]Methodology[/th][th]Evidence[/th][th]Connection to MY question[/th][th]Contradictions with others[/th]

How to use it:

1. Don't ask "What does Smith say?"
2. Ask: "Does Smith agree with Jones? If not, why? Is it method? Theory? Sample bias?"
3. Ask: "What assumption does both Smith AND Jones make that neither questions?"

The "One-Sentence Distillation": After every source, write ONE sentence: "This source is useful to me because ______." If you can't finish that sentence, you aren't ready to cite it.
Your literature review shouldn't be a phonebook. It should be a courtroom cross-examination.