Note Searching Software

[username#132]

My problem is that I'm about to research for my dissertation in which I'll need to read about 100 different journal articles. I need some sort of software in which I can keep seperate notes that I can assign specific subject areas to all be looked up later (database fits this part) but also that will enable me to search for words in the same manner as any search engine (i.e. not just one phrase but something like 'word word "word word word"' where word and word could be seperated from word word word...)

 

[OS Dragon]

Microsoft Excel

 

[dave597]

something like excel and google desktop search would work.
or you could use bibtex and tex it all up.

 

[username#132]

I don't have Excel but I've got OpenOffice Calc. What is the name of the functions I should be thinking about in Excel?

I don't understand how I can use Excel to assign keywords in advance or how I could use google desktop to search within a spreadsheet and return only results in which all terms where in a single cell. Is this what you're suggesting?

Thanks for taking an interest!