1. Creating Research Paper Note Cards
“A Successful Person”

2. Bibliographic Note Cards
Effective note taking throughout the research process ensures:
authentic documentation of information,
avoids plagiarism,
and minimizes confusion and stress when writing the research paper and Works Cited page.

3. What are Note Cards, and why should I do them?
Note cards are a simple way for you to gather and organize your research for easy access while writing your paper.
Note cards also help you stay focused on information relating to your thesis!
More importantly, creating note cards gives you practice in paraphrasing and summarizing information for your paper.

4. 2 Kinds of Notecards (15 total)
You will prepare 5-10 SOURCE notecards
These are notecards that JUST list the source you are using.
You will write RESEARCH notecards
These are the notecards that list only ONE fact PER CARD. This the source number on the card

5. 5-10 SOURCE CARDS
For each new source, create a separate note card that includes all relevant bibliographic information
Use MLA format (all titles, authors, publisher, page numbers, dates, etc. needed for the Works Cited page)
Keep in mind the different information required for various kinds of sources!

6. MLA Format See page 22-23 on PVHS Writing Manual from the PVHS website
(Academics-Departments-English
left side under Course Handbook. Click on PVHS Writing Manual)

7. MLA WEBSITE Format example:
Quade, Alex. “Elite Team Rescues Troops behind Enemy Lines.” CNN.com. Cable News Network, 19 Mar Web. 15 May 2008.
*Note: The first date is the date of publication; the second is the access date. An edition or version can also be given after the Web site title.

8. Number Source Cards
Number each source card in the upper, right-hand corner.
For any quotation or fact taken from that particular source, write the corresponding source number on the note card’s upper, right-hand corner. #1
Silver, Lee M. Remaking Eden: Cloning and Beyond in a
Brave New World. New York: Avon, #1

9. Source Cards Review How many source cards will you have? 5-10
What format do you use?
MLA
Where can you find a list of MLA formats?
PVHS Writing Manual on website
Where do you put the number for the source on the card?
Upper right corner

10. Research Notecards You will write 15-20 notecards
Each note card will be connected to ONE of your SOURCE cards
To achieve a balanced research paper, you need AT LEAST 5 sources to draw information from.
Therefore, you should only have 2-4 research note cards per source.

11. How to Create a Note Card
Write the number of the bibliography SOURCE card that represents the source you are using in the upper right corner of the card: 1

12. How to Create a Note Card (cont. again)
Give each note card a topic or heading. Write the topic in the top line of the note card, to the left. Each index card needs to be a single thought. 1
Medical Experiments – freezing experiments

13. How to Create a Note Card (cont. again)
Paraphrase or summarize your info. If you must copy the information word for word, use quotation marks. 1
Medical Experiments – freezing experiments
Scientists at Dachau stuck prisoners in vats of icy water to see how long they could last before passing out and dying.

14. How to Create a Note Card (one last time)
After you have written down your information, write the page number of your source near the bottom right corner of your note card. 1
Medical Experiments – freezing experiments
Scientists at Dachau stuck prisoners in vats of icy water to see how long they could last before passing out and dying.
Page 26

15. How to Take Good Notes and Stay on Topic
Put one quotation, statistic, or paraphrase per note card.
Include only one thought per card
Make sure you include only one thought per card.

16. To Quote or Not to Quote, that is the Question…
Direct quotations should be used sparingly!
Use direct quotes only when necessary (and remember to cite properly when you do).
A better idea is to PARAPHRASE, or restate in your own words.
If the passage is too long to paraphrase or quote directly, summarize it!

17. How to Take Good Notes and Stay on Topic
Make sure your source material is relevant!
Does it pertain to your topic?
Does it provide information concerning your thesis?
Is it appropriate for your audience
Did you gather it from a reputable source?

18. How to Take Good Notes and Stay on Topic
Make sure your paraphrases and summaries accurately reflect the ideas in your sources
If you copy word for word, make sure you use quotation marks and cite your source!
Refer back to your controlling idea (or thesis) often – only take notes on information that pertains to your thesis!
If it doesn’t pertain to your thesis, ditch it!

19. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the act of intentionally or unintentionally copying someone else’s work and passing it off as your own.
If you are caught intentionally plagiarizing someone else’s work (or your sources), you WILL receive an automatic ZERO for your paper grade.

20. Research Note Cards Review
How many thoughts do you put on each card?
ONLY 1
Why do you use topic headings?
To help you organize your thoughts.
Should your always use direct quotes?
NO! Paraphrase and summarize, too

21. DUE DATES 5 cards due Feb 15th & 16th 5 cards due Feb 17th & 21st
5 cards due Feb 22nd & Feb 23rd
TOTAL 15 CARDS DUE Feb 24th & Feb 27th
TOTAL 5-10 SOURCE CARDS DUE Feb 24th & Feb 27th