3. Definition
Note taking
is an indispensable part of writing a research paper.
Your notes record information from the sources that you
will use in writing your paper.
Therefore, it is necessary to critically evaluate the texts or
articles you are reading and to make reasonable choices
about what will and will not be useful for your paper.
Otherwise, you will overload yourself with information and
spend too much time sifting through notes.
4. Why Note Cards?
Helps you to organize material
Easier to identify
sources Information at your fingertips
Good study tool
Helps you to avoid plagiarism
5. Types of Note Cards
Cards for recording your sources
Cards for recording notes on your topic
6. Purposes of Source Cards
1. First, it enables you to find the source again.
2. Second, it enables you to prepare documentation for
your paper.
3. Third, it enables you to prepare the list of Works Cited
that will appear at the end of your paper.
Every time you find a source that might be useful for your
research paper, you need to prepare a SourceCardfor it.
A Source Card serves 3 purposes:
7. 1. Author #1
2. Title of article, book, magazine, or
other source
3. Place of publication
4. Name of publishing company
5. Date of publication
6. Any other information pertinent to
that specific source being used
Source Card Essentials
Each time you use information from a source, write the following
information on your source card…
Assign a number to each source used. Place it in the right-hand corner
of your note card.
8. Kopel, David. “Arms and the Greeks.” Liberty. Aug. 1999.
4 Sept. 99. <http:www.libertysoft.com/liberty/features/
76Kopel.html>.
Example of a Source Card
Taken from an article in a MAGAZINE
#6
9. Gathering Information
There are three basic types of notes
Summary
Paraphrase
Direct
Quotation
Summaries or shortened versions of the material;
includes lists also
Material is put into your own words
Record author’s material word for word
10. Making Summary Cards
Contains the main points of the particular
research in a nutshell
Close your book and then write a summary
No quotation marks (put in your own words)
Use when the source runs too long to be
quoted or paraphrased
11. Making Cards for
Paraphrasing
Writing the idea of another using your own
words and sentence structure
Your most common note form
Usually about the same length of the
original
12. Making Cards forQuotes
Material is recorded exactly as it is taken
from the source
Anything that is quoted directly from the
source must be enclosed within quotation
marks
Use when the source material is especially
well-stated
13. Parts of a Note Card
5
Reason famous
“…he was and is an everlasting glory to the
literature of his country.”
102
Describes the note’s information and keeps
you from having to read the entire note each
time you want to know what the note says
Information
Page reference
Source card
20. Useful note-taking software
Microsoft OneNote (part of Microsoft Office; also available as iOS / Android
app)
Evernote (free and paid versions; also available as iOS / Android app)
22. Reflect on your Research
Once you have the relevant information:
What have you discovered and learnt?
•How does your new knowledge help your
understanding?
•What arguments or evidence have you discovered?
•How have your ideas/opinions been influenced?
•Do you now have a clearer understanding of the
topic/ task?
23. What can you do if you don’t
understand something?
Ask in class
Go see your lecturer personally (take a draft)
Go see another member of faculty
Ask peers/classmates
Email your lecturer for help
See a HELPS advisor (drop-in consultation)
ALWAYS seek help if you need it!!
24. Effective Critical Reading +
Note-taking
Strategies for better critical reading.
Inspect text first
Scan rapidly / ascertain
Question / Question / Question /
Locate specifics quickly
Read at the right speed for the task
Recall / review / summarise through your notes
Note-take / note references accurately
Read SMART
Save time!
Achieve task
25. Note Taking Tips
Keep your topic, controlling
purpose, and audience in mind at
all times. Do not record material
unrelated to your topic.
Make sure that summaries or
paraphrases correctly reflect the
meaning of the original.
Be accurate. Direct quotations
are picked up word-for-word.
Use quotation marks at the
beginning and end of quotation.
Always double-check page
references. It’s easy to copy
these incorrectly.
Double-check statistics and
facts.
Nonessential parts of a
quotation can be cut if the
overall meaning of the quotation
is not changed. Indicate
omissions of nonessential
material from a quotation by
using ellipsis points, a series of
3 or 4 spaced dots. Use 3 dots
(. . .) when cutting material
within a single sentence; use 4
dots (. . . .) when cutting a full
sentence, a paragraph, or more
than a paragraph from a
quotation.
26. Plagiarism
One of the purposes of using note cards and
source cards is to help you avoid plagiarism.
Plagiarismis the act of intentionally or
uninte ntio nally treating work done by
someone else as though it were your own.
27. How to Avoid Plagiarism
Is this information, idea, orstatement common
knowledge?
Didthis information, idea, orstatement comefroma
sourceoutsidemyself, ordidit comefrommyown
experienceoras aresult of myowncreativeactivity?
Here is a simple test to determine whether
something is
plagiarized: Ask yourself…
If the information, idea, or statement is NOT common
knowledge, and if it came from an outside source, then
you must credit that source. Failure to do so constitutes
plagiarism.
29. Once you have written, sifted through, and
organized your note cards, then you are ready
to begin writing your outline.
Extra references:
https://rmitenglishworldwide.com/blog/note-taking-and-answering-qu
30. Practice
Select one source for your research and
practice taking notes. Choose a method that
works best for you or use the template
provided.