Boards, research & planning
File every article, filing, and reference by topic — revisit when the story breaks again
Reporters, researchers, and analysts — not another folder of blue links.
Covering housing, courts, tech, or local government? Clip sources into topic sections — primary docs, data, prior coverage, expert contacts — with notes and quotes. Share one unlisted link with your desk, or keep it private until publish day.
The problem
Sound familiar? These are the pain points people search for before they find a better way.
- Sources scattered across tabs, Slack, and email threads
- No shared place for the desk to file filings and background links
- Bookmarks have no notes, quotes, or topic structure
- Hard to find that HUD report from three months ago
What you get
Clip & file
Paste URLs or use the bookmarklet — highlight text and the quote lands in your note.
Beat sections
Group by Primary sources, Court filings, Data, Prior coverage, and Experts.
Share the desk link
Send one URL to editors and researchers — they add Refs without signing up.
Private until ready
Unlisted Lysts stay off Discover — your working files stay internal.
How it works
- 1
Create a research Lyst
Name it after your story, beat, or investigation.
- 2
Add topic sections
Sources, Filings, Data, Background, Experts — or your own taxonomy.
- 3
Clip as you report
Save links from Add Ref or the bookmarklet with notes and quotes.
- 4
Share with colleagues
Turn on contributions and pin the link in your newsroom chat.
Built for
People also search for
Common questions and keywords — if you typed these into Google, you're in the right place.
- how to organize news sources
- tool to organize research links
- journalist bookmark manager
- newsroom source desk
- organize articles by beat
Frequently asked questions
- Can my whole newsroom add sources?
- Yes. Turn on contributions and anyone with the link can add Refs and notes — no ReferLyst account required.
- Can I clip a quote from an article?
- Yes. Highlight text on the page, click the bookmarklet — Add Ref opens with the URL and your selection in the note.
- Will my source list show up in public search?
- Not if you keep the Lyst unlisted. Only people with the link can open it.
- Is this only for journalists?
- No — policy researchers, historians, genealogy buffs, and legal teams use the same workflow to organize references by topic.
Related platform solution
News source organizer
Clip quotes, file by beat, share one desk link — revisit when the story returns.
Read the full solutionRelated use cases
Start your organize news sources on ReferLyst
Free forever on the starter plan. No website required — live in minutes.