1. A computer-implemented method of authoring a document, comprising: obtaining a plurality of research items, each research item indicative of corresponding research material; displaying a user interface having a research organization display space and a document workspace, wherein the document workspace is visually separate from the research organization display space and includes a user input mechanism for modifying document content from the document that is displayed in the document workspace, the document content comprising content other than the research material; displaying the plurality of research items in the research organization display space, wherein each research item is represented in the research organization display space by a user interface element having a content portion that visually indicates the corresponding research material for the research item; receiving a user modification input through the user input mechanism in the document workspace; based on the user modification input, modifying the document content displayed in the document workspace; receiving a user co-location input; based on the user co-location input, selecting one of the research items displayed in the research organization display space and selecting a location in the document content from the document; generating an association between the selected location in the document content and the selected research item; and modifying the user interface to visually represent the generated association between the selected research item and the selected location, wherein modifying the user interface comprises at least one of: adding, at the selected location in the document content, at least a portion of the corresponding research material for the selected research item; or placing, at the selected location in the document content, a link to the selected research item.