Notecard Content
When conducting research and using the notecard method, the following elements are required on every notecard:
- A number that corresponds to the source from which the information comes. Your working bibliography should list the corresponding source in MLA format.
- If the source is a book or print article, the page number where the information is located.
- If the source is an Internet site, the date you viewed the site.
- Your initials, just in case the card falls on the floor and someone finds it.
- A single, distinctive piece of information from the source. This may be either a quote or a fact. Do not put more than one piece of information on each notecard; that defeats the purpose of using notecards, which is the ability to change the order of your facts with ease. Unless you are quoting something directly, write in shorthand to avoid plagiarism.
The following elements are not required but highly recommended:
- A roman numeral that corresponds to your table of contents.
- The date or historical time period that the information refers to.
Here are two examples of notecards with the required elements. One is from a book and the other from an Internet site:
Notecard from a book source
Notecard from an Internet Source
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Posted by Justin Wells : 10/08/2007