This document provides instructions for creating note cards that summarize, paraphrase, or directly quote sources used for a research paper or thesis. It explains that each note card should indicate the topic it supports from the thesis, label whether it is a summary, paraphrase, or direct quote, include attribution information for direct quotes, and provide a full MLA citation on the back of the card for the source.

1. Sample Note card Card Heading (topic from thesis this supports) Label as Summary, Paraphrase, or Direct Quote (only one of these on a single card) “ This is how you would write a direct quote and make sure to include the quotation marks.” Who said the quote and then what the context was of when/where the quote occurred. (p1) Page number where the info occurred in your source Source Letter&Number A1 This means that it’s your first source and it’s the first card from it On the other side of the card, I’d write out the full MLA citation of this source, that way you won’t cite it wrongly later in your paper!