How to Make Research Note Cards

Note cards like these are the perfect size to write one important note for your research assignment.

When preparing for a research paper or project, there are going to be a lot of sources of information you have to use. In order to streamline this process and make it easy to access the information you learn in your research, you need to learn how to make research note cards. Note cards help you keep track of important research notes and also provide a visual way for you to organize your information and break down the topic of your research assignment.

Things You'll Need

• Note cards
• Pen or pencil
• Research sources

Instructions

1. Create a note card for every new research source. These sources might include web sites, magazines, books or newspaper articles. Write the author, title, and date of publication as well as any other important information about that source on one note card. Then write a number at the top of the card; this number should be unique for each resource note card, and it will help you identify the information you got from this source.

2. Start a research note card by including the number of the research source (obtained in step one) in the top right corner. This way it will be easy for you to connect a resource to the information you got out of that source.

3. Write one single fact or piece of information on the research note card. Give the notecard a header that easily identifies the subtopic from your research that the card supports. Make sure that every fact you write corresponds to the main idea and subtopics of your research assignment.

4. Include quotation marks for any phrases or sentences you copy directly from the source. Add brackets around any words of your own that you add in. Write down the page number of the source where you found the information.

5. Start a new note card for a new fact or piece of information. This way you can keep your facts organized and easily see how many facts you have gathered based on the number of note cards you have created.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep each note short and simple; it is also acceptable to abbreviate words in your notes as long as you spell them out fully in your research paper later.rnWhen you finish making cards, line them up in front of you like a moveable outline, organized by sub-topic. This will help you see how much information you have to support each section of your research.rnColor coding your cards by the sub-topic or the resource they come from is a simple way to organize your notes.

References

• Cambridge Rindge and Latin School Research Guide: Making Note Cards