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Creating
Note Cards:
What did I Find?
When
you have determined that a source contains material that is reliable and useful, you will want to take
notes on it. There are three types of
notes: summary,
paraphrase, and quotation.
Regardless of which type of notes you use, remember to cite the
source.
SUMMARY
NOTE CARD: This type of
note card is used if you want to record only the general idea of large amounts
of material. This is usually done
either in outline or bulleted form. Even
though you are not using the author’s exact words, the ideas you are using are
not yours and therefore must be cited.
PARAPHRASE
NOTE CARD: This type of
note card is used if you require detailed notes on specific sentences and
passages but do not need the exact wording.
In other words, you are restating the material by rephrasing it in your
own words. This requires that you alter
not just the vocabulary used, but also the entire grammatical structure of the
sentences. However, because the
ideas you are using are not your own (even if the words are yours), you must
cite the source of the information.
QUOTATION
NOTE CARD: This type of
note card is used when you believe that a sentence or a passage in its
original form might make an effective addition to your paper.
You should transcribe that material exactly as it appears, word for word,
comma for comma, enclosing it in quotation marks to distinguish the quotation from
summary and paraphrase notes. Try to use direct quotations sparingly in your paper,
saving them for special emphasis. Again, you must cite the source.
The
general rule of thumb for a note card is: one source + one topic = one note card.
*In
addition to your actual notes, a note
card should include:
1. A subheading
2. Enough information to enable you to locate the source easily in your
working
bibliography.
This
information should be the same as any parenthetical citation (author’s last
name and page number).
Example
of a Summary Note card:
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Children
and Sports
Leonard
140
I.
Sports
A. Cause children emotional stress
B. Cause children fear and anxiety
II. Scanlan and Passer’s Study
A. Of preadolescent soccer males
1. Shows losing players had post-game
anxiety
2. Shows anxiety caused more problems
a. Avoid failure
b. Shy away from active participation
c. Won’t try new things
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Example
of a Paraphrase Note Card:
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Children
and sports
Leonard 140
Stress
and anxiety on the playing field can result in children backing away from
participating in sports because they fear rejection if they perform
poorly. This anxiety and stress is a result of the child’s fears of
being hurt or not being good enough. A study by Scanlan and Passer, showing
that boys who lose in soccer have more anxiety after losing a game than
boys who win, confirms these findings.
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Example
of a Quotation Note Card:
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Children and sports
Leonard 140
“...(in organized sports)
children may be subject to intense emotional stress caused by fear and
anxiety ...concern about physical safety, and doubts about
performance and outcome. This anxiety may emerge if children are ignored,
chastised, or made to feel that they are no good. Scanlan and Passer’s
study of preadolescent male soccer players showed that losing players
evidenced more post-game anxiety than winning players. Children who
experience anxiety in sport competition may try to avoid failure by shying
away from active participation by developing excuses or by refusing to try
new things.”
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Reproduced by permission of St. Martin's Press,
Inc.
Remember:
1.
In your working bibliography, create a citation including full bibliographic information
for the sources used in your note cards.
2. You may use common knowledge in your note cards.
This is the only type of
note card that requires no citation.
[
Research
Manual Homepage
][ Introduction ] [ Research Process ] [ Dewey Decimal ] [ Search Strategies ] [ Evaluating Resources ] [ Bibliography Cards ] [ Avoiding Plagiarism ] [ Note Cards ] [ Works Cited ] [ Parenthetical Citations ] [ Science Writing ] [ Documenting Science ] [ Outlining ] [ Sample Outline ] [ Graphic Organizers ] [ Sample Paper/Works Cited ] [ Primary Sources ] [ Glossary ] [ Useful Links ]
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