Central Bucks School District

Writing Research Papers


II.E. NOTE CARDS

        Taking notes has several purposes. A manageable system of index cards separates those impotant facts, ideas, statistics and quotations from the rest of the material and puts this information in a form that is convenient to use. Instead of piles of books and underlined xeroxed copies to shuffle through, all necessary information is literally in hand as you begin to compose.
        An index card system promotes organization. Index cards allow only small bits of information per card. Therefore, the cards can be ordered and reordered into a logical order before the paper is written.
        Another consideration is that note cards (properly done) provide the writer with all necessary information for citations of direct quotations or paraphrases. Your note cards contain the facts, statistics, quotes, paraphrases, ans ummaries that you will use to build the paper. Four by six inch or five by eight inch cards are suggested. Limit your writing to one side.
        Make sure that direct quotations are copied accurately and use quotation marks to distinguish them from paraphrases and summaries. When paraphrasing information, be careful not to take material out of context, twist the interpretation to suit your own conclusion, or use the exact wording of the author. This will help you maintain accuracy and avoid unintentional plagiarism.

Each note card must include four pieces of information for identification:

  1. The last name of the author.  The first name is necessary only if you are working with books by two authors of the same last name. No title is necessary unless you have two books by the same author.
  2. The page number.  The page number is very important for citation information when you write the rough draft.
  3. The topic.   A one word summary or subject heading is placed in the upper right corner, under the code. This is sometimes referred to as a "slug". All information on the card should be about that topic only. If information about one subject from one source must be continued on several cards, repeat the heading and abbreviated source identification on each card and number them consecutively. These summaries or headings will help you to group cards on the same subject from different sources and to organize the paper when you write the draft.
  4. Code number to help cross-reference notes to book.  Each note card must be connected to a specific book. One way to do that would be to write the title of the book on every note card. But that is far too much work. Therefore, researchers use a code system.
        When you take notes, your job is to do as little writing as necessary. Write down only the most important information. Use shorthand, abbreviations, and phrases as much as possible. These notes are for your use only; they do not have to be overly neat. Do noit waste time copying information needlessly. Read one section of a chapter completely and then go back and take notes.
        It is not necessary to take detailed notes on common knowledge or on obvious statements. Common knowledge is that information which you have read in three or more sources. Examples would be finding in three to five sources the idea that Adolf Hitler wanted to be an artist or that Benjamin Franklin stated that he was too old to lead the Constitutional Convention or that George Washington was a great American leader. (See pages IE for additional information on common knowledge).
        As you progress through the note-taking process, you will find that you will  take notes on everything in the beginning. However, the more you take notes, the more you will begin to realize that some information has been repeated and some fits your purpose for the paper better than others. This is part of the narrowing and focusing of your subject.
        finally, there will be times when you will want to take notes on your own ideas when you have flashes of insight as to the relationship of ideas. These note cards should be included along with the rest of your content cards.

Following are several examples of effective and efficient note taking.

1. Quotation Note.  This information is so important that it can not be paraphrased or summarized. It is copied directly. If it is used in the paper, you must use quotation marks and an in-text citation.


 
 

2. Paraphrase Note.  If the idea is important but you don't think you need the author's exact words, you may paraphrase; that is, put someone else's idea in your own words. If a paraphrase is used in your paper, you must use an in-text citation.


 



3. Summary Note.  A summary condenses information from the source, from several pages or even a whole chapter. It is written completely in your own words.


 
 

4. Outline Note.  If factual information alone is being recorded, rough notes in outline form may be sufficient. These are general knowledge facts, which will not have an in-text citation in the final paper.


 
 

5. Combination Note.  A note may combine quotation and summary or any other methods. This type of note is often the most efficient, because it encourages the blending of quotations with the writer's sentences. In a sense, when you write a combination note, you are beginning to compose your paper. It is very important to be careful about quotation marks and page numbers for use in citations.



6. Personal Interview Note.  Quote a speaker as conscientioulsy as you would a book. Copy the speaker's words exactly as spoken. The time and place of the interview is as important as the publishing information of a book. Without this information, an interview has no credibility.




7. Electronic Media Note.


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