Notecards

You've found resources about your topic and are ready to start reading! Students at this stage often ask: 

"How do I know what to take notes on as I read?"

Start by taking notes on passages and texts that speak to your research question. Keep in mind that on a broader level, taking notes helps you:

• • Learn about your topic

  • Capture key facts

  • Notice patterns and significance

  • Develop your argument

  • Track your sources

Notetaking is a key step of the research process and it can be time-consuming. However, the time you spend reading, working to understand your topic, and putting ideas in your own words is crucial to developing a successful project. 

Avoid taking shortcuts and using AI tools- your brain and your questions are your most valuable resource. 

How To Take Notecards

• • For most courses at Penn Charter, you will use NoodleTools to take notes on your research. 

  • In the first image on the left, the required components are circled in red. The series of images below are successful example notecards.

Each notecard must include

• • 1. A specific title (Something like "New Wind Farms in Iowa" will help you find that information later, rather than a name like "Renewable Energy 1")

    2. A source - use the drop-down menu that appears to select a source you've already entered in Noodletools. 

    3. Page numbers-if applicable, this will be part of your footnote citations in the text of your paper. If the source has no page numbers, you can skip this. 

    4. The ‘paraphrase or summary’ section- is a brief synopsis of the most important parts of the passage. Bullet points are fine here.

You are also encouraged to fill out the ‘direct quotation’ and ‘my ideas’ sections as well as needed. 

Get in the habit of taking notes in your own words- unintentional plagiarism is still plagiarism!