The Living Museum: Note Taking

1. NCMS 2012 Leigh Anne Howard The Living Museum:Note Taking

2. Taking Notes for Research • Get an understanding of the whole piece of material before you use it • Skim over the material to make sure it is appropriate for what you want • Read headings, look at photos, maps, and charts, and read captions • Write clearly and neatly • Look up unfamiliar words

3. Taking Notes for Research • If you find that a word is important, write its definition on a note card • Keep a file box of index cards to write your notes • Put only one piece of information on a card • Write on only one side of the card • Write down important details in quotations along with page numbers

4. Taking Notes for Research • Paraphrase information you want to use • Put quotation marks around any direct quotations • Taking good notes is half the battle!!!

5. Setting Up your Note Card On the top line of every note card, write the topic/idea that categorizes the information on the card. Population

6. Setting Up Your Note Card In the middle of the card, write one piece of information. It seems like a waste, but it will make it easier to organize your information later. Population The population of Clarke County Alabama is 25,833.

7. Setting Up Your Note Card At the bottom of your note card, record the information from your source. Try to get the author’s name, the title of the source, pages, date published, etc. Population The population of Clarke County Alabama is 25,833. State Quickfacts, U.S.Census Bureau. Revised 12/23/2011. Date accessed 1/18/2012.