Research Paper > Taking Notes
Taking Notes
The first step in taking notes is to keep a working list (bibliography) of all your sources (even those you are not sure that you will use). Your working list should be numbered and should include all the information that you need for creating a Works Cited page (MLA) or a References page (APA).
Once you have listed your sources, it’s time to take notes. Although your notes may be on either index cards or on your computer, your notes should contain the following information:
Once you have listed your sources, it’s time to take notes. Although your notes may be on either index cards or on your computer, your notes should contain the following information:
- the topic of each note (this will allow you to later organize all of your notes by topic)
- the source that the note is from (e.g., the number of the source in your working bibliography) and the page number that the information is on
- the paraphrased or summarized information or the quotation
Once you have finished taking notes, you are ready to organize your notes. Group all your index cards by topic. Eliminate any notes that are redundant or are unnecessary. By grouping your index cards by topics (and sub-topics), you can then develop an outline which best supports your thesis.
Avoid Plagiarism When Taking Notes
Your notes provide the documentation for your research paper. When you take notes, you need to be careful that you do not plagiarize your sources.
- When quoting from your sources, write the quotation word-for-word in your notes to include punctuation. Double check your notes to make sure you have copied the wording and punctuation exactly.
- When summarizing or paraphrasing, follow these simple steps:
- Read the material
- Set your source aside
- Write your summary or paraphrase
- Then double check to make sure you have accurately captured the thought or idea (without changing the author’s meaning). If you have used specific phrases or wording from the source, put the phrases or wording in quotation marks.