1 TAKING NOTES FOR YOUR TERM PAPER

2 STEPS IN TAKING NOTES 1 Develop A Preliminary and Final Thesis 2 Let The Thesis Guide Your Research 3 Develop Notes Based On Your Thesis (And Some Skimming And Scanning) 4 Properly Format Each Notecard 5 Use A Variety Of Notetaking Methods

3 SAMPLE PRELIMINARY THESIS In The Crucible, Arthur Miller emphasizes characterization, dramatic structure, and style to lead to his theme that moral courage is a necessity in any era.

4 LET THE THESIS GUIDE YOUR RESEARCH Based on your thesis, as you take notes from your critical sources, emphasize notes on the literary element(s) you have picked and on the theme(s) of the main work. However, feel free to: 1. Make changes as you need to 2. Broaden the scope of your research logically.

5 NOTETAKING EXERCISE For the sample thesis about The Crucible, what topics discussed by these critics should be included in your notes? E. Miller Budick: 1. Historical accuracy 2. Theme of moral tyranny 3. Miller ’ s perception of reality 4. Theme of moral flexibility Iska Alter: 1. Feminine power in play 2. Feminine sensuality in 3. Character archetypes in the play Characterization DramaticStructure Style Moral Courage

6 DEVELOP “ SLUGS ” BASED ON YOUR THESIS A “ Slug ” is a label that you will develop to identify the general contents of EACH individual notecard Use your thesis to guide you in choosing these slugs Characterization Note that the slug belongs in top lefthand corner of your 4 x 6 card

7 DEVELOP SUB-SLUGS BASED ON SKIM READING Your critic* is discussing John Proctor and the decisions he makes, so ALL notes on this card concern John *E.M. Budick, for example Characterization-- Use a “ Sub-Slug ” to identify the SPECIFIC content of the card Choose your sub-slugs by skimming and scanning each paragraph in your critical essay before you take notes John

8 Now your critic* begins a discussion of Elizabeth. YOU change cards, reuse the main slug, and change the sub-slug. *E.M. Budick, again DEVELOP “ SUB-SLUGS ” BASED ON SKIM READING Characterization-- Use a “ Sub-Slug ” to identify the SPECIFIC content of the card Choose your sub-slugs by skimming and scanning each paragraph in your critical essay before you take notes Elizabeth

9 Characterization-- In other words, the combination of slug and sub-slug ORGANIZES your research into small “ card bites ” of info so that you will be able to arrange the cards in TOPIC order later on. AND, ONE MORE TIME.... Elizabeth A NEW critic* is discussing Elizabeth Proctor. The slugs DO NOT change. *Iska Alter

10 PROPERLY FORMAT EACH CARD Structure--Reversals 1/20 Slug, subslug Bib Card Number and “ failsafe ” i.d. Exact page number where info appears in MLA format Budick, “ History ” Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx(author last name 22).

11 BE CERTAIN THAT YOU DO NOT PLAGIARIZE Each time you start a notecard, be certain to put the Bib card number, the failsafe info, and the page number(s) in place. Put “ BIG Quotation marks ” around all sentences, words or phrases that you copy from the original essay. When you summarize or paraphrase information, be certain to use only your own words. Paraphrases are still cited.

12 Plagiarism Defined ANY use of another person ’ s research paper Using information from ANY source without giving credit through appropriate MLA documentation rules and through correct punctuation (in the final paper) Borrowing another person ’ s words without placing quotation marks around them on the notecard

13 USE A VARIETY OF NOTETAKING METHODS Outline the information Summarize the information Paraphrase the information Directly quote the information Mix methods on the same card

14 Reminder: Look Before You Write Use Skimming And Scanning Skills Work from beginning to end of essay Read all bold face print Read first and last sentences of paragraphs Pick one or two sentences in the middle to skim Think “ What topics are covered here? ” “ What is this critic ’ s thesis or theory? ” As you take notes, skim and scan each paragraph

15 SAMPLE NOTECARD Bib Card #20 2/20 “ Miller ’ s play,..., is an argument in favour of moral flexibility. The funda- mental flaw in the natures of the Puritan elders and by extension of the McCarthyites,..., is precisely their extreme tendency toward the ethical pursuance of moral absolutism” (Debilio 35). These are quotation notes. Use exact words, spelling of original. Use an ellipsis to indicate words that are left out. An ellipsis equals...

16 SAMPLE NOTECARD Bib card #2 3/20 Martine quotes John Gassner: “’... if there are obvious weaknesses in the play, they result mainly from the fact that Proctor and his wife are swamped in a multiplicity of secondary characters ’” (38). Martine disputes Gassner because xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxmy summary xxxxxxx. ONE CRITIC QUOTES ANOTHER

17 ADD BIBLIOGRAPHY CARDS to the original 20 AS NEEDED Original Card for the volume PHS 21/20 Bloom, Harold, ed. The Crucible. Modern Critical Interpretations Philadelphia: Chelsea House, Bib Card #21 16/20 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX (Bloom 352). Additional card for a paraphrase. Notice that it refers back Bloom ’ s card for the volume.

18 Remember: Each time you find a new source--one you don ’ t already have a bib card for--you must make that card. Create up to three cards for each essay that you use from a volume of essays or anthology.

19 Honors English Assignment You will demonstrate “ substantial progress ” in notetaking by turning in a minimum of 20 notecards on Monday, Feb. 25, You must take notes from at least ten (10) different sources 3. You may use up to 7 cards as personal notes cards, should be filled with quotations and 7 should be filled with paraphrases.

20 Congratulations! You have completed another step of your research paper