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Introduction
Genre
Topic
Scope
Thesis
or Question
Research
Introduction
Types
of resources
Evaluating
sources
Taking notes
Outline
First
Draft
Revisions
Proofreads
Additional
Resources
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Writing a Research Paper
Research
Note-take effectively
You already started the process of note-taking in the previous section,
even before putting pen to paper. How? Well, to take notes, you need to
know what to take notes on; by analyzing the text,
you've likely already located the sections or chapters most useful to
you.
What should my notes look
like?
The point-form or sentences debate (on loose-leaf or on 3x5 index cards
for easy shuffling) is simply a matter of preference. Some students
are comfortable with points; others prefer summarizing and paraphrasing
right into rough sentences to make drafting easier. Try both methods
and see which one you prefer. Some students also prefer good ol' fashioned
loose-leaf for note-taking while others religiously use index cards
with one point on each card. Again, both techniques have their pros
and cons so try them out and see which one is for you. Above all, note-taking
involves writing. Highlighting can be an important first step, but used
alone, it's simply too passive.
So what should I write
down?
Anything and everything that will flesh out your thesis statement or
research question.
Be succinct in whatever you write, but don't rely too heavily on mental
notes because you're afraid of writing too much down. Even if it's just
background data, boil it down to a short phrase on paper and save the
taxing of your memory for exams, not research papers. Remember, notes
are a bit like drafts: you will not end up using everything you write
down. Luckily, the next step on outlines
will help you to sift the gold from the debris.
Remember that it's fine to copy down duplicating facts. You may need
them later on to defend your thesis. For major issues, having more than
one person who agrees with you strengthens your point. Just make sure
to record who said what each time.
It's also okay to copy down contradictory information. Analytical papers
often include opposing views and even for argumentative papers, acknowledging
an opposing viewpoint that is easily disproved by its counterpoint is
always a good rhetorical tool.
Whatever you take notes on, be sure to take them from more than one
or two key sources. Using a variety will lend weight to your argument,
broaden your horizons on the topic when you need varying viewpoints
anyway, and demonstrate to your professor the thoroughness of your research.
The final piece of data to record is a working bibliography of all
the sources you consult. Begin jotting one down as soon as you begin
researching so that you won't forget when it comes time to draft the
paper (a common error and stress-inducer). Therefore, before
you even take notes, neatly record all the pertinent bibliographical
information you'll need for any citation format
you decide to use (author, title, (editor, translator, and/or edition
number if there is one), publisher, city of publication, year of publication,
issue number, volume, and page numbers).
The call number of a book, the search terms you entered into any database,
and any URLs (web site addresses) for online information come in handy
for easy RE-access to a resource should something come in question
later on. In short, throw out nothing! And date it all too. Again, it
doesn't matter that you may not need all the info you write down. But,
boy, will it come in handy if your professor ends up telling you later
that he wants a Works Consulted as well as a Works Cited list at the
end of the paper. With bibliography in hand, you can answer that challenge
with a smile instead of a panic attack because you couldn't remember
what you read.
Specific tips to avoid
plagiarism
-
Paraphrase most of the time. That is, compress and write in your
own words what you understand to be the basic meaning of a sentence
or a block of text. As a composition teacher of mine always told our
class, "always think of making notes instead of taking
notes." Highlighting key passages or photocopying key pages can be
good first steps towards extracting important information, but before
you start your draft, translate and rewrite your notable
research findings now. Don't count on doing it later when the
temptation of keeping beautifully-crafted sentences in the body of
your paper (without acknowledgment) is even greater.
-
Take care to distinguish between:
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background or commonly known facts in the field that you
can assume your audience already knows (e.g., "Radio has evolved
into an incredibly portable and music-based medium"). Your own
knowledge acquired from a course makes you a great source
of such background data!
-
other not-so-commonly-known facts such as some unbelievable
statistic you found that you'll have to cite at the point of discussion
(e.g., "Research has shown that 95% of students listen to the
radio while they study")
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opinions which are usually the most contentious of all.
If Dr. Z "believes" something is the case, then record that he
believes it.
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Though you should limit this, if you absolutely must take a direct
quotation, (1) change to a different coloured pen, (2) put huge quotation
marks around it, and (3) don't forget the page number and source.
Don't count on remembering later that it was copied down word for
word; you might accidentally believe you paraphrased it in which case
careless plagiarism will probably take place.
Specific tips to facilitate
comprehension later on
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Be wary of special short-hand you or someone else has developed.
It can be a god-send as far as time-saving goes, but keep a legend
of unusual abbreviations and symbols or else you might be confused
come drafting time.
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Make sure you know where every note comes from. A good way to keep
track is to number each entry in your working bibliography and then
label each page with notes from a source with its corresponding number.
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Put a page number next to all notes just in case you need to know
where it came from to come back to the source or to use the note in
your paper.
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If you don't understand what a particular resource is saying, don't
use it or you'll risk misinterpreting the information and undermining
your argument. A good rule of thumb is that if a note doesn't make
sense at the point of writing, it won't magically make sense later.
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If you find ideas or reactions coming to you while you're
researching, make sure you keep your thoughts and insights separate
from your other notes. Using different coloured pens or physically
shifting from "me" to "others" sheets is a great way to maintain the
distinction.
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Above all, keep everything as legible as possible; you'll thank yourself
later. Neat notes especially count for bibliographic information and
URLs.
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Be wary of photocopying because as the Student Services department
from Charles Sturt University so aptly puts it, "[photocopying]
often delays the hard work of reading and thinking; unhappily, it
sometimes substitutes for them." How true. But if it's just a case
of you not liking the environment of a library for reading, then make
limited photocopies and do your analyzing
and note-taking at home. Remember though not to cut off page numbers
and always write the bibliographic information on the backside of
the page for easy reference later on.
Now that you've learned about taking notes, imagine that this page of
information is a potential source for a paper. See if you can capture
the gist of it in notes that don't exceed the size of this box.
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