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Note-Taking

1.   Browse the material before note-taking or photocopying. Determine if it contains relevant information.
2.   Complete a bibliography card before taking any notes or photocopying.
3.   Use 3” x 5” or 4” x 6” file cards.
4.   Identify the source of the note in the upper left-hand corner of the note card. Be sure to include the page where the information was found.
5.   Write the topic of the information (known as a “slug”) in the upper right-hand corner of the note card.
6.   Record only one piece of information or idea per card, using one of the note-taking     styles described in the chart below.
7.   Enclose all directly quoted material in quotation marks.

Note Card Styles

                              QUOTATION                        PARAPHRASE               SUMMARY

LENGTH:             same as original                 same as original                 main ideas only

ORDER:               same as original                 same as original                 any order

LANGUAGE:       author’s                             note-taker’s                      note-taker’s

INTENT:               author’s                             author’s                             note-taker’s

WHEN USED:     when original                    brief piece of                     when only the
                              wording is                         information;                      main idea is
                              particularly                        when original                    important
                              apt and clear                      wording is
                                                                        undesirable
                                                           
                                                      Adapted from: Franklin High School Guide to the Research Paper

 Source/Author’s name and page number                          Topic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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