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Note Cards
and Note-Taking:
What did I Find?
When you have determined that a source contains material that is reliable and
useful, you will need to take notes on the material. There are three types of
notes: summary,
paraphrase, and direct quotation.
Regardless of which type of notes you use, you will need to give credit to
the source. So, remember to include the
information about the source so you can cite it properly later on.
SUMMARY
NOTES: This type of
note 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
NOTES: Paraphrase notes are
used when you require detailed
information found in specific sentences and
passages, but you 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.
Please note: If you do not adequately
paraphrase by significantly changing both the wording and the grammatical
structure of the material, you are basically using a direct quote.
Therefore, you would need to surround the information with quotation marks.
If you do not, you are plagiarizing.
Many students think
that, since they use their own wording, they do not have to cite the source of information
that they paraphrase. However, the information itself belongs to someone
else, and must be properly cited.
DIRECT QUOTATION
NOTES: This type of
note 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 copy the information 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.
Note
Cards
Many students, and their instructors, prefer to
take notes on index cards. This is a good way to organize information before
creating an outline or a first draft. 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 or the beginning of the title, if there is no author, and page number, if
it is a print source).
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.
Create a working bibliography card that
includes a complete and formatted citation
for each source used in your note cards. 6
2. You may use common knowledge in your note cards. This is the only type of
note card that requires no citation.
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