Reading and Taking Notes

Reading

Reading and note taking are really parts of a single act.  Note taking is a a kind of reading skill; however, other reading skills can be learned as well.  You will want to know about Mortimer Adler's levels of reading in order to move through your research and focus on the relevant materials.  Once you have narrowed to research (Adler's level 2) to a few sources, then your deep reading begins (Adler's levels 3 and 4).

Reading Skills Resources

Notes on How to Read a Book Reading Skills Analytical Reading

Note Taking

Taking notes during your reading is a common bit of advice.  You might take notes in the margins of the work that you are reading; you might take notes in a notebook.  For a research paper, however, you should take notes on index cards.  Taking notes on index cards allows you to put all of the information you will need when it comes to composing your paper.  Always take down direct quotes carefully and include the source of the quote, in MLA required form.  Below is an example of a note card.

"The working bibliography is a record of all of the sources            that you have collected during the early stages of your            research.  It will be from this working bibliography that            you will create your final bibliography, or works cited page.             Your working bibliography should have a minimum of 10            sources.  Your working bibliography should include a            broad variety of sources."                                                         (Smith 56)

Note Taking Resources

Efficient Note Taking Using Index Cards to Take Notes

Don't Forget Chapter 16 in The College Writer's Reference

And for Your Own Search

options