As you read your sources, you should have a strategy for taking notes that works for you, as it is very easy to cut and paste information, lose track of the sources you used, or mix the information from the sources with your own ideas. Taking good notes and keeping track of which information came from sources ensures you have a clear idea of which ideas are yours and which ideas, information, or words are from a source. This helps you avoid accidentally presenting the work of others as your own in your assignment.

How to Take Notes

There are two methods of taking notes, quoting information and then adding your own ideas, and either paraphrasing or summarizing what was said and then adding your own ideas.

Quoting and Adding

Quote information and then add your own ideas 

• write down enough source information so you can easily find the source again later
• copy the exact text and put it in quotation marks
• add your own thoughts in a different colour

When you want to use your researched information to support your point of view, you then decide whether you want to use a direct quote, a paraphrase, or a summary of the original. Having the originals in front of you will allow you to double-check that you are quoting accurately and that you are paraphrasing properly.

Paraphrasing or Summarizing and Adding

Paraphrase or summarize information and then add your own ideas

• write down enough of the source information so you can easily find the source again later
• paraphrase
• add your own thoughts in a different colour

OneNote

Use MS OneNote

• Paste the file you are reading into the notebook.
• Make notes of key information, paraphrases, and analysis alongside the digital file.

OneNote is available through the “more apps” button in your student email.

Attributions

This chapter is an adaptation of 3.6 Note-Taking by Donnie Calabrese; Emma Russell; Jasmine Hoover; and Tammy Byrne and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. You can download this book free at Academic Integrity Handbook Copyright © 2020.

This chapter is also an adaptation of 3.7 How to Take Notes Copyright © 2020 by Donnie Calabrese; Emma Russell; Jasmine Hoover; and Tammy Byrne and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. You can download this book free at Academic Integrity Handbook Copyright © 2020.