Research Papers Notecards

Taking Notes Summary: a brief restatement of only the most important points of a source Paraphrase: restates a source’s ideas completely and is, therefore, about the same length as the original Direct Quotation: the writer’s exact words inside quotation marks

Taking Notes How do I know what to write? ◦ Write down facts, statistics, examples, comparisons, and quotations that help answer your research question. ◦ If you’re debating whether something is important enough to write down, ask yourself these 2 questions. If you answer “yes” to both, write it down! 1.Does the information relate to my research question? 2.Will the information interest my audience or give them a clearer understanding of my topic?

Making Notecards What to write on your index card: 1.The source number (in the upper right-hand corner). If you took the notes from source #2, put a #2 in the corner. 2.A category. 3.Your notes. Summarize, paraphrase, or quote directly. 4.The page number(s) (at the bottom).

Making Notecards Categories: ◦ Label each card with a category that tells the type of information it provides. ◦ When you find information about the same part of your topic, you will give it the same category label.  Example: 761 st Tank Battalion student used these categories: Background, Training, Early Battles, Later Battles.

Sample Notecard Students are arrested Source #1 In February 1943, the students were seen handing out pamphlets by a janitor at the University of Munich. He reported the students to the Gestapo. Page 2