Instructions By now you have identified your topic for your literature review in Week 8. Using that topic, find 5 scholarly articles in the NCU library. With those 5 scholarly research articles, use Stern’s (2015) Note-Taking Table provided in the resourc

NOTE-TAKING INSTRUCTIONS: This handout is available in an alternative format on request

How to use the sheet: For each article or book, use a note-taking sheet (or several pages) to keep track of your summary notes and ideas. Use short notes and mind-maps (linking words and concepts) to record your notes in progress. The note-taking sheet asks you to go further and try to record your new questions and concerns that are raised by the research. Why to use a note-taking strategy? Reading research can be time-consuming. Make the best use of your time by recording notes as you read. It is difficult for anyone to remember – without notes – the difference between research arguments and approaches. If you use only notes in the margins of the article, you will need to flip through your notes. You will have to reinterpret your notes every time you use them. Try to keep a log of your summary notes as well as your new responses to help you stimulate new thinking and save time. Answering Questions On the left hand of the sheet, you can record, in notes or summaries, the name of the article, the key terms (often found with the abstract), the thesis, hypothesis, or purpose of the researchers, and key points from the main argument. On the right hand of the sheet, the questions ask you to record your new ideas from reading research. These answers could help you develop your writing assignments and improve analysis. Questions to think about may include: What is important, from your perspective, about this research? What is the relationship between your ideas and questions and this research? What course concepts are raised or could be considered? What connections – about themes, issues, questions, and methods – could you make between this and other research you have done?

Note-taking Worksheet

Prepared by N. Johnston, The Writing Centre, Teaching and Learning Services, 2006.

Handout also available at http://ctl.utsc.utoronto.ca/twc/webresources

Overview of article Making connections to your topic

S U M M A R Y

What key points are related to my topic? What are my ideas about this research? How does it relate to my own research question?

T H E S I S

How does it relate to my research question?

K E Y P O I N T S

Map / outline how the main points relate to your topic.

My research question / my research topic:

Key terms, search terms, and course concepts:

What questions does this research raise? Are there any limitations to this research, either stated or unstated by the researchers? Are questions raised about the direction of further research?

Research Reference: