Since joining the Library and Graduate School teams, I have been introduced to technologies, apps and platforms by my colleagues, many of which are new to me. Having spoken to a few students in the GSRR I know there can be a feeling of ‘overload’ with Web 2.0 tools: so many technologies, so little time! But there’s nothing wrong with trying a tool for a while and seeing how you get on. Everyone has different learning styles and find certain technologies appeal to them. It is always worth giving things a go to see if it might just be for you. The GSMZ can always help you with this and lead you through the wealth of technologies available for every aspect of your research lifecycle. Last week I was looking at Scoop.it, thanks to a hearty recommendation by Terese Bird of Beyond Distance Research Alliance (@BDMediaZoo @tbirdcymru) Scoop.it is a relatively new startup which gives you the opportunity to curate your own topic. Being a ‘curator’ is instantly attractive to a history geek like me and I think this aspect of Scoop.it is very appealing. The layout is also a plus point. Once you set up your topic and start ‘scooping’, your page is arranged like a magazine: nice big photos, headlines, and excerpts from longer articles. This is also how the topics that you ‘follow’ appear.
In essence, Scoop.it trawls the internet so you don’t have to! It is easy to browse and discard your scooped material. If you’re not yet ready to curate your own topic then you can simply follow others. Try searching for your research topic and see what comes up. Scoop it can also disseminate weekly findings via your Twitter or Facebook account, which would work particularly well for advertising research projects. 
Here are two curated topics which will give you an idea of the way Scoop.it arranges material:
A good example of a research project on Scoop.it: Manufacturing Pasts
Other thoughts on Scoop.it : TNW Quick Look and Forty2
Using Scoop.it as an online portfolio for your career: Dr. Sarah-Louise Quinnell