English 102: Content Notes

Always take notes as you research. As soon as you start looking beyond the titles of the things you find (articles, websites, books, etc.)—in other words, as soon as you start skimming—you should start keeping a record of the information that you find.

Another way to say this is:

Record any information from your sources that you might use in your paper.

Types of things you might record include:

Thesis of the article
Key facts from the article
Key ideas from the article
This author’s position in the debate over your question.
Example: Suppose your research question is, “Was the invasion of Iraq legal under international law?” Some sources will say yes, some will say no, some will say sort of or maybe. If your source answers your question, make a note of the answer so you can see how it fits into the debate or conversation you are writing about.

Keep in mind these issues in how you record the information:

Write in your own words
If you quote, clearly mark it as a quotation
Always record which source the info came from

Following these tips will help you avoid accidental plagiarism (using another’s words without properly giving credit).