1. Creating Note Cards

2. Source Cards
Every source gets a source card – a card that lists publishing information to use on your works cited.
Assign each source a number so that it will be clear which notes came from which source.
Use the MLA works cited guide at Purdue OWL online to write works cited information correctly.

3. Note Cards – cards that contain information from a source that you could use in your paper
Three kinds of note cards:
Direct Quote – the exact text with quotation marks
Paraphrase – rewording the sentence so that it is your own
Summary – condensing longer material into a shorter main idea sentence

4. Direct Quote
When you take something from the text word for word, without changing anything from the original. Important! - it must be the exact same words and order. Put quotation marks around it, to show that you did not write those words and phrases. Example of a direct quote, straight from the book: “The vividly fictional characteristics of the story have not prevented critics, past and present, from seeking to place it in a specific geographic context. Hesiod, who wrote later than Homer, believed that Odysseus and his ships sailed around in the general area of Italy and Sicily, to the west of…” -pg 36

5. Paraphrasing
Rewords a direct quote and changes the language of the passage.
Changing a word or two, or rearranging the order, is not enough to make it your own.
The original text:
“The vividly fictional characteristics of the story have not prevented critics, past and present, from seeking to place it in a specific geographic context. Hesiod, who wrote later than Homer, believed that Odysseus and his ships sailed around in the general area of Italy and Sicily, to the west of…” -pg 36
Paraphrased:
Although The Odyssey includes many fantastic creatures and events, people throughout history have tried to identify a real setting for the tale. Hesiod, a writer who came after Homer, thought that Odysseus’ journey took him around Italy and Sicily. -pg 36

6. Summarizing
Relays only the main points of a passage, written in your own words.
Usually shorter than the actual text because it omits details and inessential information.
It is important not to change the author’s original meaning in the translation when paraphrasing or summarizing.
The original text:
“The vividly fictional characteristics of the story have not prevented critics, past and present, from seeking to place it in a specific geographic context. Hesiod, who wrote later than Homer, believed that Odysseus and his ships sailed around in the general area of Italy and Sicily, to the west of…” -pg 36
Summarized:
The early writer Hesiod thought that The Odyssey took place near Italy and Sicily. -pg 36

7. Parts of a Note Card

8. Paraphrase…
…or Summarize

9. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE!!!
Quoting word for word without documenting the source is not the only type of plagiarism.
When you use special phrases someone else wrote, you must credit the source.
For example, the original source includes the phrases “Alexandrian geographer,” “ports of call,” and “wild- goose chase.” If you use any of these distinct phrases without quotation marks, that’s plagiarism. Use your own words and phrases to describe these things or give the author credit for their words.
Plagiarism on your final draft will result in a penalty on your final score and may result in a zero on the paper.