Note Cards Prof Sam Mc Bride Purpose To

Note Cards Prof. Sam Mc. Bride

Purpose • To store relevant information from sources in a convenient format

Three Parts • Note • Keyword(s) • Source

Note • Information from source • 3 types of notes • Not too long – Better to make more short note cards • Be accurate

Keyword • A word or phrase about the note • Two types: – Identify content • (number of abortions annually) – Describe content • (statistics)

Source • Link the note card to one and only one bibliography card • Typically last name of author(s) & page number(s) of info – Example: Smith 185 • If two authors, list both – Example: Smith & Wesson • If more than one page, give a range – Example: Smith 12 -21

Source (continued) • If two sources by authors with the same LAST name, include FIRST initial or name – Example: John Smith 18 (or J. Smith 18) • If two sources by the SAME author, list SHORT title – Example: Smith “Reasons” 96 • If web site (or other electronic source), don’t use page numbers – Example: Smith

Three Types of Notes • Quotation • Summary • Paraphrase • These are three different types of actions, though researchers may mix quoting, summarizing and/or paraphrasing within a single note.

Summary Notes • Refer to our earlier presentation on summaries

Quotation Notes • Use exact words, punctuation, etc. of original • Place quotations in quotation marks

Can you leave out words in a quotation? • Yes! • Doing so must NOT change the meaning • Indicate words left out with ellipsis – (…)

Leaving words out of a quotation • Joyce Smathers, President and CEO of Anderson Electronics, suggests the industry needs an understanding of new finances. • “Smathers. . . suggests the industry needs an understanding of new finances. ”

But NOT this: • I do not do drugs. – Bill Clinton • Ex-president Clinton said, “I do. . . Drugs. ”

Ellipses and periods • If you are dropping out words at the end of a sentence, but continuing the quote, use ellipses and a period • Example: Life is good, and we should be happy. That must be our motto. • “Life is good. . That must be our motto. ”

Can you add words to a quotation? • Yes! • Doing so must NOT change the meaning • Indicate additions with square brackets – ([ ])

Adding Words to a Quotation • Joyce Smathers suggests the industry needs an understanding of new finances. • “Joyce Smathers [President and CEO of Anderson Electronics] suggests the industry needs an understanding of new finances. ”

Noting errors in the original • Use the Latin word “sic” in brackets • Example: We gonna do research. – George W. Bush • President Bush said, “We gonna [sic] do research. ”

Quoting Quotations • Change the original’s double quotation marks (“) to single quotations marks (‘). • Example: People should be cautious of “making excuses” for others. • “People should be cautious of ‘making excuses’ for others. ” • NOTE: When quoting (or paraphrasing) a passage that quotes someone else, identify the original speaker and your source

Exercise on quotation • Research reports, even if they are brief, can help a writer clarify his understanding of a topic. Thus they should be taken seriously, with careful attention to documentation. A writer must make sure to identify all sources of information in reports, using an accepted style guide (such as MLA). This will ensure a quality report, scholarly progress, and a good grade in the class being taken at the time of the report.

Paraphrasing • Putting someone else’s ideas into your own words • Putting someone else’s ideas into words other than the original • Plagiarism: using as many as two important sequential words from the original, or even using the original sentence structure.

Paraphrasing is NOT: • Word substitution • Quotation • Changing the meaning

Why Students Hate Paraphrasing It involves four things students don’t like: • Reading • Understanding • Interpreting • Writing

How to paraphrase • • Read one sentence (or part of a sentence) Place the original out of your sight Write the idea(s) Check your version against the original for: – Plagiarism – Changing the meaning

Paraphrasing Exercise • Paraphrase a passage out of the book as indicated by the instructor