This document discusses note-taking and parenthetical documentation for research. It emphasizes that notes should only include secondary data relevant to the thesis statement. Sources must be cited on note cards to avoid plagiarism. Good note-taking develops critical reading skills and allows selective inclusion of only useful information in the researcher's own words. Notes should be legible, accurate, and complete to build a credible argument and avoid issues when drafting the research paper. Plagiarism occurs if sources are not properly cited, whether copying verbatim or summarizing ideas.