Index card
method of notetaking for
research reports
Two types of note cards
are used:
• Resource cards
• Data Cards
Resource cards
• These cards collect all the
information that you need
to create your Works Cited
page.
• You need one for each
resource that you use.
• Label each card with a #,
letter, or color.
Label each resource with a
#, letter, or color
#1
Include the following information:
•Title
•Author
•Publisher
•Place of Publication
•Date of publication
•URL address for web-pages and other
electronic resources.
Resource cards: special
instructions for title information
• magazines, newspapers,
encyclopedias and webpages require two titles;
the title of the publication
and the title of the article.
Resource cards: special
instructions for author information
• Some magazine and
encyclopedia articles do not
have a specific author listed. It
is your responsibility to check
for this information.
• Some sources have editors
instead of authors.
• Web page authors are often
listed on the “contact us” or
“home page”.
Resource cards: special instructions for
publisher information
• Printed materials require a
publisher.
• electronic or digital sources will
have a publisher if they were
originally published in a printed
format.
• Web-pages will not list a
publisher, but they should list
the organization responsible for
putting the information on the
web.
Resource cards: special instructions
for place of publication information
• If more than one location is
listed always choose the
location closest to you.
• Web-pages do not require
a place of publication.
Resource cards: special instructions
for date of publication information
• For books and encyclopedias
look for the copyright date on
the back of the title page. ( © )
• Magazines and newspapers
may include the month, date,
and year.
• Web-pages require two dates;
the date the information was
last updated and the date that
you viewed the web-site.
Other special instructions:
• All web-pages require the
URL address ( www.)
• Always identify if it is a print
or electronic resource.
Using Citation Machines
• When you have all your
resource cards complete
you can use a citation
machine to create your
works cited page.
• Use one of the following:
– Noodlebib MLA Starter
– Easybib
– Bibme
Data Cards
• These cards are used
to collect the
information you
need write the
body of your report.
Always identify the
resource that you
used to get this
fact.
#1
identify the topic or
question that this fact
answers.
Topic or research question
p. 23
Write only one fact
or idea per index
card.
For your
own
benefit
write down
the page #
where the
fact can
be found.
Special instruction for fact cards:
• Only write one fact or idea
per card.
• Be sure to paraphrase or
list information to help
prevent plagiarism.
• Be sure that any direct
quote that you are
planning to use in your
report has quotation marks
and tells who are what you
are quoting.
Time to write your report.
• First sort your cards based on
the topic or question that it
answers.
• Eliminate cards that do not help
to answer one of your research
questions.
• Use your cards to create an
outline.
• Then combine information from
the facts cards to begin writing
the body of your report.