Note Taking

 

Note Taking

 The phase of preparing a research paper that frequently has less supervision than any other is note- taking; yet the ultimate success of the paper depends in great measure on the quality and amplitude of the notes.  Note-taking is the heart of research, not merely a preliminary step. It is a careful, thoughtful process. If you write notes of high-quality, you will not have to rewrite them for the paper. You cannot quote everything, for only about 10% to 15% of your paper should feature direct quotation of the secondary sources.

 Your goal for the note taking process is to end up with note cards that contain the essence of the material you have reviewed.  The notes are primarily for your own use in the writing of the paper, and their worth is to be judged largely on the ground of how well they serve that purpose.   legibility, clarity, exactness, and completeness are certainly of paramount importance. Equally important is the ability to spot pertinent information and to distinguish what is useful from what is not.

 

Rules for the use of note cards

 It is better to take your notes on cards. The larger cards afford more space for long notes but they are more expensive and more wasteful of space when notes are short. You should plan not to be without cards at your studies. You can take these rules into consideration for attaining accuracy and hand-written notes:

1.  write plainly and accurately without crowding.
2.  use ink because penciled notes blurred after repeated shuffling of the cards.
3. Label each card using code words at the top of the card.
4.  Write one item tier card to facilitate shuffling and rearranging data.
5.  Write on one side of the card. Material on the back of a card may be overlooked.
6.  State the source below the notes itself clearly and accurately (author, work, page).
7.  Write a full note. When you have a source in your hands, write full, well-developed sentences. Full wording in the note will speed the writing of your first draft. Avoid photo copying everything.
8.  Organize your notes into a system, and classify them by their subject headings at the top.
9.  Label your personal notes. right now to record your own thoughts, but mark them with ‘my idea’ or ‘mine’.

 

 Kind of note cards

1. Outline note cards
2. Summary and paraphrase note cards
3. Quotation note cards
4. Commentary note cards
5. Documentary note cards

References:

Atallah, Dhuha. (2011). A Course in Library and Research Work. College of Basic Education/ Al-Mustansiriah University.