Using Index Cards to Research and Plan Your Research Paper by R.G. Waite.

transcript

Using Index Cards to Research and Plan Your Research Paper

by R.G. Waite

In researching and planning your research paper, the lowly index card can be your best friend!

Hi Pal!

It can even prevent you from being charged with plagiarism!

Stick with me!

Here’s how it works:

Let’s take a look!

Let’s say you have to write a research paper using five sources.

So you’ve done some research on your topic, and your five sources turn out to be:

So you’ve done some research on your topic, and your five sources turn out to be: - One Book

So you’ve done some research on your topic, and your five sources turn out to be: - One Book - One Journal Article

So you’ve done some research on your topic, and your five sources turn out to be: - One Book - One Journal Article - One Encyclopedia Article

So you’ve done some research on your topic, and your five sources turn out to be: - One Book - One Journal Article - One Encyclopedia Article - Two Internet Articles

For each of these five sources, you will need at least three index cards.

Let’s call each type of card:

A Work Cited Card

A Work Cited Card A “Your Statement” Card

A Work Cited Card A “Your Statement” Card A Quote Card

Now, your first source is a book.

You’ll have at least three index cards for that source:

You’ll have at least three index cards for that source: - One Work Cited Card

You’ll have at least three index cards for that source: - One Work Cited Card - At least one “Your Statement” card

You’ll have at least three index cards for that source: - One Work Cited Card - At least one “Your Statement” card - At least one Quote Card

The Book You’ve Read

A Quote Card

Your second source is a journal article:

The Journal Article You’ve Read

A Quote Card

The Journal Article You’ve Read

Your third source is the encyclopedia article you’ve read:

The Encyclopedia Article You’ve Read

A Quote Card

The Encyclopedia Article You’ve Read

Your fourth source is an internet article you’ve read:

An Internet Article You’ve Read

A Quote Card

An Internet Article You’ve Read

Your fifth source is another internet article you’ve read:

The Other Internet Article You’ve Read

A Quote Card

The Other Internet Article You’ve Read

Now, for each source you will create one Works Cited Card.

Journal Article

Encyclopedia Article

First Internet Article

Second Internet Article

Journal Article

Work Cited

Journal Article

Work Cited

Journal Article

Work Cited

Journal Article

Work Cited

Journal Article

Work Cited

A typical Work Cited Card will look like this:

Author’s name [last name first].

Author’s name [last name first]. Title of the Book.

Author’s name [last name first]. Title of the Book. City of publication:

Author’s name [last name first]. Title of the Book. City of publication: Publisher,

Author’s name [last name first]. Title of the Book. City of publication: Publisher, Date.

A more specific example of a Work Cited Card would look like this:

Hey! You have to fill me in with your own handwriting.

Jones, Albert P.

Jones, Albert P. Sociology.

Jones, Albert P. Sociology. New York:

Jones, Albert P. Sociology. New York: McGraw-Hill,

Jones, Albert P. Sociology. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007.

Beware

Beware• You will most likely have to create works cited

cards with somewhat different formats than this last card.

• This is because the last card was for a book, and your other sources might be a journal, an encyclopedia, or the internet.

• Also, you may have sources with multiple authors, or no “authors” at all.

In order to correctly format different types of works cited cards:

• Review the hand-out, “The MLA Parenthetical Notation and Works Cited Page Formats”

• Go online to research such formatting

Why are you creating these Work Cited cards?

Each work cited card will contain the information you will need from that particular source in order to add that source to the Works Cited page at the end of your research paper.

Journal Article

Work Cited

Journal Article

Work Cited

Journal Article

Work Cited

Works Cited

So, after you have created one Work Cited card for each source, you sort them alphabetically by authors’ last names.

This is the order in which you enter the information on the Work Cited Cards onto the Works Cited page.

Journal Article

Work Cited

Works Cited

Journal Article

Work Cited

Works Cited

Sort these work cited cards alphabetically (by

authors’ last names).

Journal Article

Work Cited

Works Cited

And place that information onto the

Works Cited page in that order.

Journal Article

Work Cited

Works Cited

WARNING Many students are aware of the Works Cited page app called noodlebib which is accesible through the Library page on Wits or online at noodletools.com.

The noodlebib app will do a great job formatting a complete Works Cited page for you.

• However, you still have to input the raw data into the noodlebib app in order for it to create a completed Works Cited page.

• You will have to get this raw data from your Work Cited cards!

Once you’ve used your Work Cited cards to create your Works Cited page, you can set them aside.

Journal Article

Work Cited

Works Cited

Journal Article

Work Cited

Works Cited

Journal Article

Work Cited

Works Cited

Journal Article

Work Cited

Works Cited

Journal Article

Work Cited

Works Cited

Journal Article

Works Cited

Journal Article

Now it’s time for the “Your Statement” cards.

Let’s use the book you’ve read for an example of the use of “Your Statement” cards.

A Quote Card

Here’s the deal:

Here’s the deal: • You’ve read the book and you’ve spotted one

really good idea that you want to use in your research paper.

• But, you don’t want to be accused of plagiarism by using that idea.

• A “Your Statement” Card will prevent that accusation.

• Read that idea in the book until you “own” it in your mind.

• In other words, burn that idea into your mind until you can state it in your own words.

• Write that idea down in your own words on an index card.

• That index card now contains a statement of the idea in your own words.

• It is a “Your Statement” card.

Journal Article

“Your Statement Card” A major point you want to

make, taken from the book, in your own words.

Next, let’s take a look at the Quote Card.

The essence of a Quote Card is that it’s proof that you know what you’re talking about on the Your Statement Card.

For example, you’ve created a Your Statement Card about a really great idea you found in the book and that you’d like to incorporate into your paper.

Journal Article

Now its time to back up your statement with a supporting quote, some data, or perhaps a graph, from the book.

So now you go back to your source, in this case the book, to the page where you got the idea in the first place.

Look around on that page, or a nearby page, and look for a quote, some data, or perhaps a graph that supports the idea you wrote about on the Your Statement Card.

Write that quote or data down on a new index card.

That index card has now become the “Quote Card” that has information that directly supports the idea you have written down on the “Your Statement” Card.

Journal Article

“Quote Card”A direct quote, piece of

data, graph, etc., taken from the book, that supports your

own-word statement.

Here’s a major KEY POINT about the Quote Card:

Here’s a major KEY POINT about the Quote Card: • After you have written the quote or data

down onto the card, be sure to also write down where you got the quote/data from.

• For example, if you got the quote/data from a book authored by Albert P. Jones and it was on page 62, make a note on your quote card like this:

• For example, if you got the quote/data from a book authored by Albert P. Jones and it was on page 62, make a note on your quote card like this: (Jones 62)

For example:

For example -

For example -Here’s a quote you’ve written down on this

quote card:

“Conflict theorists view the nature of social classes as being constantly at war with one another”

For example -Here’s a quote you’ve written down on this

quote card:

“Conflict theorists view the nature of social classes as being constantly at war with one another”

Be sure to add the parenthetical source notation at the end of the quote, after the quotation mark but before the period:

“Conflict theorists view the nature of social classes as being constantly at war with one another” (Jones 62).

Be sure to add the parenthetical source natation at the end of the quote, after the quotation mark but before the period:

This is going to save you a lot of agony because these quotes and parenthetical notations on your Quote Cards will become the quotes and parenthetical notations in the main- body text of your research paper.

Here’s the overall view of how the “Your Statement” Card/“Quote” Card system operates:

(A “Your Statement” Card)Karl Marx was the father of conflict theory.This isthe theory that the relationship between the rich andthe poor would ultimately degenerate into open class conflict. Although many modern-day sociologists reject this view, there are still some who promote it.

Karl Marx was the father of conflict theory. This is the theory that the relationshipbetween the rich and the poor would ultimately degenerate into open class conflict. Although many modern-day sociologists reject this view, there are still some who promote it. For example, one prominent Sociologist has stated,

You have typed a main idea in your own words (from a “Your Statement” Card) up

to this point.

(A Quote Card)“Conflict theorists view the nature of social classes as being constantly at war with one another” (Jones 62).

Karl Marx was the father of conflict theory. This is the theory that the relationshipbetween the rich and the poor would ultimately degenerate into open class conflict. Although many modern-day sociologists reject this view, there are still some who promote it. For example, one prominent Sociologist has stated, “Conflict theorists view the nature of social classes as being constantly at war with one another” (Jones 62).

Now you can take the quote from the quote card,

including the parenthetical citation, and plug it in here.

“Conflict theorists view the nature of social classes as being constantly at war with one another” (Horton 62).

Notice how the quote from the quote card

supports your statement.

Now, repeat the processes of creating “Your Statement” and “Quote” cards for all your remaining sources:

Journal Article

own-word statement.

Journal Article

own-word statement.

make, taken from the journal article, in your

own words.

Journal Article

own-word statement.

own words.

data, graph, etc., taken from the journal article, that

supports your own-word statement.

Journal Article

own-word statement.

own words.

make, taken from the encyclopedia article, in

your own words.

Journal Article

own-word statement.

own words.

your own words.

data, graph, etc., taken from the encyclopedia article, that supports your own-

word statement.

Journal Article

own-word statement.

own words.

your own words.

word statement.

“Your Statement Card” A major point you want to make, taken from the first

internet article, in your own words.

Journal Article

own-word statement.

own words.

your own words.

word statement.

data, graph, etc., taken from the first internet article, that

Journal Article

own-word statement.

own words.

your own words.

word statement.

“Your Statement Card”A major point you want to

make, taken from the second internet article, in

your own words.

Journal Article

own-word statement.

own words.

your own words.

word statement.

your own words.

data, graph, etc., taken from the second internet article,

that supports your own-word statement.

Notice that in this discussion the total number of “Your Statement” and “Quote” cards is 10 cards.

Journal Article

own-word statement.

own words.

your own words.

word statement.

your own words.

Journal Article

own-word statement.

own words.

your own words.

word statement.

your own words.

Journal Article

own-word statement.

own words.

data, graph, etc., taken from the journal article, that supports your own-wor

statement.

your own words.

word statement.

your own words.

Journal Article

own-word statement.

own words.

your own words.

word statement.

your own words.

Journal Article

own-word statement.

own words.

your own words.

word statement.

your own words.

Journal Article

own-word statement.

own words.

your own words.

word statement.

your own words.

Journal Article

own-word statement.

own words.

your own words.

word statement.

your own words.

Journal Article

own-word statement.

own words.

your own words.

word statement.

your own words.

Journal Article

own-word statement.

own words.

your own words.

word statement.

your own words.

Journal Article

own-word statement.

own words.

your own words.

word statement.

your own words.

Journal Article

own-word statement.

own words.

your own words.

word statement.

your own words.

In actuality you should have several more “Your Statement” and “Quote” cards.

This is because you will more than likely get more than one “big idea” from any one source.

For example, you might get two ideas that you want to use from the book, in which case you will end up with two “Your Statement” cards and two “Quote” cards, for a total of four cards for that book alone.

Journal Article

own-word statement.

Similarly, you might get three great ideas from the first internet article, in which case you would end up with six cards from that one source:

Journal Article

Now, what are you going to do with all the “Your Statement” and “Quote” cards you’ve created?

Next, go to a nice big table or desk, and lay down the “your statement” and “quote” cards in the order in which you intend to use them.

For example, suppose the first major point you want to make is from the first internet article.

Lay your first internet article cards down like this:

Continue this process until you have all your “Your Statement” and “Quote” cards lined up in the order in which you want to use them.

own-word statement.

make, taken from the encyclopedia article, in your

own words.

own-word statement.

own words.

“Quote Card”A direct quote, piece of data, graph, etc., taken

from the encyclopedia, that supports your own-word

statement.

own-word statement.

own words.

“Quote Card”A direct quote, piece of data, graph, etc., taken

from the encyclopedia, that supports your own-word

statement. e. . . etc., etc., etc.

Once you’ve got your cards lined up, you can place them in a nice neat stack in the order in which you’re going to use them, or you can keep them laid out on the table.

Now, using your cards, you can do one of two things:

Now, using your cards, you can do one of two things: 1. Write an outline based on the cards and then

write your paper based on the outline and the cards.

Now, using your cards, you can do one of two things: 1. Write an outline based on the cards and then

write your paper based on the outline and the cards.

2. Write your paper directly from the cards.

Obviously, as you are writing your paper you will have to write introductory and concluding paragraphs that are not based directly on the cards . . .

And you will have to write transition sentences to smooth the change from paragraph to paragraph in your paper, . . .

but, by the time you’ve laid your cards down in the appropriate order, it can be said that “you’ve come a long way baby,” a long way to completing your paper!

And, hopefully, if you’ve “played your cards right,” you will have avoided a charge of plagiarism!

The End

Using Index Cards to Research and Plan Your Research Paper by R.G. Waite.

Documents