Taking notes on research sources

Some strategiesSLCC

Fairview High School

There are many ways you can go about this

• Note card-ish• Color code in one document• Use a database• What have you done that has worked for

you?

No matter what you do, these things are critical

• Record page numbers• Make sure you keep track of what is

o Paraphrasedo Summarizedo Quoted verbatim (put quotes around quoted information)o RECORD PAGE NUMBERS in all caseso Your thoughts on your notes

• Keep the works cited information for a source as you are working with ito So you don’t have to go back for it later!

• Write down your ideas about the information you are collecting from your sourceso You can often use these tidbits in your paper!

How to get from taking notes to writing a research paper

• Take all your notes from sources, write thoughtful comments about them.

• Organize and categorize your notes.• Figure out which ones you want to use in your

paper. • Put them in a logical order in a word document.• Write in-between the pieces to connect them—

focusing on what claims the data allow you to make and how you will warrant the data. o Voila! Research paper!

What’s your plan to organize yourself as you research?

• And what will you do as you research to help you with the writing later?

• It’s up to you. I don’t care how you do it, but you will need to make a plan for yourself!

• Write your plan in your writer's notebook.