Note Taking for Your Research Project

In order to keep track of your research, you will create a Google Doc.  This document should contain all of the notes you are taking from your research.  Within that document, you should have a different page for each source.  At the top of the page should be the title of the source AND its bibliographic information.
Then, underneath the bibliographic information you should take notes from the source.  These notes should be highlighted according to the guidelines listed here.  Notice, you are not (and should not) always use direct quotations.  In fact, more often than not, especially from entry level sources, you will be paraphrasing information and putting it into your own words (caution though, this still probably necessitates citation).  Further, you should be commenting on the information as you go (green highlights).


Highlighting files with Google Docs

When you have a file open, you can highlight portions so that they will stand out and are more easily visible.

1. After you open the file, use your cursor to select the portion of the file you want to highlight.
2. Click the "Text background color" button in the formatting bar at the top of the screen - it has a picture of a highlighter marker on it.
3. Choose the color you want for your highlighting and click on it.
4. The section you selected will now appear highlighted in the file.