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Module 1
Asking Good Questions
Module 2
Finding Information
Module 3
Selecting the Best
Module 4
Putting it Together
Module 5
Your Project
Module 6
Making the Grade

How do I take notes?

One thing's for sure: technology makes it easy to copy and share ideas and information. But a person can get into big trouble when they share ideas and information that they don't own. Almost every day we read about people who made the mistake of copying and publishing without asking permission.

Plagiarism in a research project can lead to dismissal from a college. Plagiarism at work can lead to dismissal from your job. So how do you make sure you are not plagiarizing? The key is organized research. Organized research starts with a close reading of the source. Researchers take good notes and organize them so that they are useful.

By the end of the module you will be able to say:

  • I can take good notes from my sources on the evidence I have gathered.
  • I can organize my sources and notes, using appropriate tools.
  • I can keep track of information from a variety of sources to avoid plagiarism.

Directions: Begin with #1 and work through #9 below. Then, click next.

Note: If you are using the databases from home you may need your school district's INFOhio username and password. If you need your school username and password, use this link to Find Your Password.

#1

Watch the video, How to Read a Scholarly Journal Article.

#2

Watch the video, How to Take Notes in Class.

#3

Read the APA/MLA Guidelines 7th/8th Editions: A Quick Study Digital Reference Guide to gain advice on note-taking. Click on the poster to enlarge it.

#4

Visit the INFOhio Citation Guide:

#5

Test your plagiarism identification skills with the Plagiarism Game.

#6

Review the differences between Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing to see how you can use each one in your research project.

#7

Read the research tips in How to Take Good Notes from EBSCO Connect.

#8

Read this information on paraphrasing. Not only do you have to take good notes, but you have to decide how you will use the information you find.
Then practice with this Paraphrasing Exercise and compare your answers at Paraphrasing Exercise: Possible Answers.

#9

Show what you know about plagiarism by taking this quiz. Your results might surprise you.