How Do I Record My Information?

Making Jot Notes

The easiest way to prepare your research assignment is by making jot notes. This involves skimming, scanning, and reading for key bits of information as you consult your sources. Note taking involves the following strategies:

• Get an overview of your topic (often an encyclopedia).
• Look for headings, highlighted terms, and topic sentences to identify main ideas.
• Put the information into your own words. Don't include anything you don't understand.
• If you directly quote a passage, place quotation marks around the quotation and note the page number and source.
• If you paraphrase a passage, cite the page number and source.
• Refer often to your original questions.
• Take down full bibliographical information for each source.
• Make more notes than you think you will need.
• Be brief. Take down only key words and ideas in point form.
• Do not copy. Avoid plagiarism.

Check with your teacher how to record your notes:

1. With pen and paper
2. On index cards
3. On the word processor

For additional information, please refer to the following book available in your library: Writers Inc A Student Handbook for Writing & Learning written and compiled by Patrick Sebranck, Verne Meyer and Dave Kemper 1996: Wilmington, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin Company, sections: 169, 170, 180.