Below is the template I use when researching a plant. I Google a plant's botanical name (genus and species). Then I go through the websites, copying and pasting phrases and sentences into the correct area on the template. I also save pictures of it I like to go with the info. You can also type in info gathered from your gardening books.

The finished research sheet gives a great overall view of the plant. Contradictory info sometimes happens, but with so many sources of info, one version usually shows itself as correct.

Since the info and pictures you use for this are taken from other people's websites, you can not use this research method for anything commercial. It's for your own personal research. You can use and gather info to the template in a text file or Word file etc. I like to have the template take up half the screen and the other half my browser in Google.

Just in case you don't know how to copy and paste text, here's how:
TO COPY: - select (highlight) the text, then press CTRL-C
TO PASTE: - place the cursor where you want the text to go, then press CTRL-V
This works in almost any Windows program.

Template:

Under NAMES, I often include an AKA section when a plant has more than one botanical name. You might also want to include a section for writing whether a plant is an annual or not. I usually just put that in under climate, and if it's a perennial I put in the zones or countries it grows in.

Here's an example of a page I made using this template in planning for a future indoor+balcony garden. Info and pictures were gathered from other people's websites, giving me a good overall view of each plant's needs and traits all on one page.