note Taking Strategies

One of the hardest part of writing a research based paper is taking notes. -Writers can have difficulty… -determining what to take notes on. -determining whether a source is useful. -summarizing. -reading a lengthy source. -paraphrasing.

Taking notes can be easy when writers know what to look for. Prior to reading a source, preview it! -How long is the piece of work? -What can I learn from the title? -Do I know anything about the author? -What do I know about the publisher? -What does the abstract say? -What do I learn from skimming the first and last sentence of each paragraph? -Do visuals help in my understanding of the article?

Finding the important “stuff.” When reading ALWAYS ask yourself if what your reading answers your research question. If it does, WRITE IT DOWN. Write down any hard facts or statistics. Consider that you will need to provide background information and some history of your topic. While it may seem that background information and history do not answer your question, they allow the reader to better understand your topic, thus giving you a better chance to persuade them to agree with you.

Key Terms Underline or highlight key terms your reader may need to be familiar with. Be prepared to explain these in your essay.

Paraphrasing vs. direct quotes Paraphrasing involves putting information into your own words. Paraphrasing is more detailed than summarizing. Paragraphs are paraphrased, entire articles are summarized. When paraphrasing break down the paragraph as if you were writing it yourself. Identify the topic sentence, context, concrete details and commentary.

Direct Quotes Only write down direct quotes when you feel the statement can’t be said better in your own words. Direct quotes need to move your audience to agree with you. Direct quotes also strengthen your argument. If someone of authority agrees with you and makes a statement in support of your argument, use the direct quote.

EasyBib Note card requirements Notes must be taken on SIX sources Note cards should be labeled by TOPIC- not source title Link source title to note card- this is REQUIRED! Complete both paraphrasing AND summarizing box. Color code note cards Check your calendar for due dates on notes.

Research question and article title Be sure title relates to topic of note card NOT source title Research question and article title Direct quote OR paraphrase paragraph Match correct citation with note card- IMPORTANT-don’t ignore Copy and paste important information that relates to your research plan. Paraphrase that important information that relates to your research plan. IMPORTANT- explain where the above info fits into your argument- can be phrases or single words Color code note cards so you can keep them organized- separate by article or topic

And the final question… How many note cards do we have to have? Depends…sources vary in length and quality. I expect that everyone can create a minimum of 20 note cards (see assignment requirements). Some may have more. Again, check due dates.