Introduction to Research Source Cards and Note Cards

General Information  You’ll need a pack of 3 x 5 index cards (100 count), writing utensil(s), and your chosen book.  You’ll be required to have 6 sources with 5 note cards for each source.  You may only use 1 internet source.  The MLA format packets are available in the library for $3. Highly recommended!

Important Elements  Primary sources  Secondary sources  Note taking  summarizing  paraphrasing  quoting  Source cards  Note cards

Primary Sources First recording of information; first-hand or original information Examples: In this case, your novel historical documents letters transcripts or tapes of interviews or speeches lab reports

Secondary Sources Information derived from or about a primary source Examples: documentaries biographies history books critical essays/books

Valid sources to use in narrowing your subject…  World Wide Web: search pages or sites containing key words related to your subject.  Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature: use this guide to look up your subject in the library’s card catalog noting the topics listed under the subject headings.  Experts: discuss your subject with someone who has expert knowledge about it.

Note Taking Summarize  In your own words  Retell only the most important information or details of a text.  Almost always shorter than the original text; a highly condensed version

Note Taking Paraphrase  Restate someone’s ideas or words in your own words, using your own sentence structure and vocabulary.  Make sure to keep the meaning of the original text.  More detailed; often includes interpretation

Note Taking Quotes  Use only when the author’s exact words, as well as the ideas, are important.  Copy word for word with the exact punctuation.  Put quotation marks around it.

Source Cards (aka bibliography cards)  Important for keeping track of where you found the information Important for giving credit within your paper as well as for preparing the Works Cited list that accompanies your final version of your paper Required source card info:  Author  Title  Publication information  Source number (assigned by you)

Source Card Format source # Last name, First name. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication. location call number

Sample Source Card Book with One Author 1 Gleick, James. Chaos: Making a New Science. New York: Penguin, Print. Public Library H

Note Cards  Take notes by summarizing, paraphrasing or quoting  Be sure to distinguish your own ideas from those of the source  Use a separate note card for each item of information Required note card information:  key word or key phrase in upper left corner  Source card number in upper right corner  The text of the note  Page number of the information

Sample Note Card Funding5 Sponsorship (instead of advertising) was the term most often used to describe the way early programs were funded. A sponsoring company would put up money for a program in return for a short, simple on-air acknowledgment. page 3