1 Unit 5, Note cards, Lit.

review, Works cited

Unit 5
PREPARING NOTE CARDS
& WRITING LITERATURE REVIEW AND WORKS CITED
I. COLLECTING INFORMATION

 Which information?
Use 4 by 6-inch cards (10 x 15 cm). On each card you need the following information:
Side A
1. book title
2. author’s full name
2. publication (place, date, edition)
3. URL, host, date of publication and date of retrieval/date accessed (for online
information)
Side B
1. author
2. heading
3. page numbers (or paragraph number for an online article, if available)
4. your note: a quotation, paraphrase, or summary
5. your own comments in a different color pen

 Why preparing note cards?

The purpose of note cards is
- to facilitate arranging notes to write the literature review or other sections of the final
paper;
- to write the Works Cited.
 How to prepare a note card
SIDE A

Topic: WRITING
Bridges to Academic Writing
Ann O. Strauch
Cambridge University Press
Cambridge
2001

Write only one note per card. You should not write more than one note per card because later
you will need to shuffle your cards to follow the order that you will use for your paper. If you
wrote more than one note on a card and each note needed to be used in a different part of
the paper, you would not be able to shuffle your cards to fit the order of the paper.
The following offers an example of three basic kinds of note cards: quotation card, paraphrase
card, and summary card. Because this handout will be printed in black and white, italics have
been used to distinguish the added comments from the notes taken from the original source.
In actuality, a pen of a different color from the one used to write the notes would be used for
comments.
Example of a Quotation Card (Side B)
A quote card must use quotation marks around all of the words taken from source.
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Example of a Paraphrase Card (Side B)

Example of a Summary Card (Side B)

This summary card condenses information found in a lengthy paragraph and highlights the
main point made in the paragraph.

Some Pointers about Writing Note cards

1. If the card covers information that goes over one page, mark on the card where the
information for a new page starts. In the event that you use only information from one of
the pages in your paper, you will need to know the exact page for your parenthetical
citation.
2. Use the ellipsis (…) on quotation cards to indicate omitted text. Use the ellipsis to save
time, so you do not write out the full quotation when parts of it are unnecessary.
3. Use brackets [ ] if you want to insert text of your own within a quote.
3 Unit 5, Note cards, Lit. review, Works cited

4. Check paraphrases carefully to make sure that you have not used any of the author’s
original words/phrases. If you have, insert necessary quotation marks.

Original Note Cards

In addition to notes that you take from references, you should write note cards with YOUR
own ideas about what you would like to include in your paper. Identify the author of these
cards as yourself. You should write your last name or write “own” on the card where you
would ordinarily write an author’s name.

II. WRITING IN-TEXT CITATIONS

1. In-text references or quotations are used when you want to support an argument or explain
a certain point. The quoted text could be a paraphrase or a summary of the original text.
When necessary, a direct quotation can be used. The short direct quotation can be inserted
into the text as part of the sentence. Whatever form you choose to put in your text, you
need to state the source of the information. In general, a citation is placed in parentheses
(= parenthetical citation).
- MLA uses the author’s last name and the page number, while the APA uses the author’s
last name, the date, and the page number.
- MLA does not use a comma to separate the author’s name and page number. The initials
p. (for page), and pp. (for pages) are not used either. In contrast, APA does use commas
and the initials p. and pp. before the page numbers.

2. Place a citation as close to the quoted or paraphrased material as possible without

disrupting the sentence.
- When material from one source and the same page numbers is used throughout a
paragraph, use one citation at the end of the paragraph rather than a citation at the
end of each sentence.
- Parenthetical citations usually appear after the final quotation mark and before the
period. An exception occurs, however, in quotes of four or more lines since these quotes
are presented as block quotes: that is, they are indented and use no quotation marks. In
such cases, the parenthetical citation goes after the period, as the following example
shows (long quotation):

Bolles argues that the most effective job hunting method is what he calls
the creative job hunting approach:
figuring out your best skills, and favorite knowledge, and then
researching any employer that interests you, before approaching
that organization and arranging, through your contacts, to see the
person there who has the power to hire you for the position you
are interested in. This method, faithfully followed, leads to a job for
86 out of every 100 job-hunters who try it. (57)

- Poetry will be handled something like this:

In her poem "Sources," Adrienne Rich explores the roles of women in shaping their world:
The faithful drudging child
the child at the oak desk whose penmanship,
hard work, style will win her prizes
becomes the woman with a mission, not to win prizes
but to change the laws of history. (23)
4 Unit 5, Note cards, Lit. review, Works cited

3. Adding or omitting words in quotations: If you add a word or words in a quotation, you
should put brackets [ ] around the words to indicate that they are not part of the original
text.
e.g. Jan Harold Brunvand, in an essay on urban legends, states: "some individuals [who retell urban
legends] make a point of learning every rumor or tale" (78).
- If you omit a word or words from a quotation, you should indicate the deleted word or
words by using ellipsis marks, which are three periods (...) preceded and followed by a
space.
e.g. In an essay on urban legends, Jan Harold Brunvand notes that "some individuals make a point of
learning every recent rumor or tale ... and in a short time a lively exchange of details occurs" (78).
4. Online sources:
=> Because Internet sources typically have no page or paragraph numbers (unless the
source is in PDF format), and Web sites often list no author, people are often confused
about how to refer to these sources within their papers. The answer is to cite the author's
name whenever possible, and use the source’s title otherwise (or a shortened version of the
title). If an electronic source includes paragraph numbers (par.), section numbers or screen
numbers, use those numbers after the word section or screen.
=> If no page or paragraph number is provided, leave that portion of the citation blank.
Keep in mind that the primary purpose of an in-text citation is simply to point readers to
the correct entry on the “Works Cited” page.
e.g.
- The Collaborative Virtual Workspace (CVW) prototype is being used by the Defense Department
for crisis management (Davidson and Deus).
- “Sleep deprivation affects 1 out of 4 teens” (Barton, par. 5).

- “Sleep deprivation affects 1 out of 4 teens” (Barton, Introduction).

5. Author's name mentioned in the sentence:
=> If the author's name is mentioned in the sentence, a parenthetical citation consisting
of the page number comes directly after the name or at the end.
e.g. Philip Thomas (72) attempts to dispel this notion that psychiatry, like medicine, is an area of
knowledge unharmed by the social and political complications.

OR: Philip Thomas attempts to dispel this notion that psychiatry, like medicine, is an area of
knowledge unharmed by the social and political complications (72).
=> Mark breaks in short quotations of verse with a slash, /, at the end of each line of verse:
(a space should precede and follow the slash).
e.g. Cullen concludes, "Of all the things that happened there / That's all I remember" (11-12).
6. Author's Name Not Mentioned in the Sentence:
=> If the author's name is not mentioned in the sentence, the citation should include both
the author's name and the page number. This appears directly after the reference to the
source or at the end.
e.g. In one such study (Anderson 45-49), it is found that...

The notion that psychiatry, like medicine, is an area of knowledge unharmed by the social and
political complications is likely to be dispelled (Thomas 72).
7. Citing a specific part of a work: Quotation marks need to enclose the cited text.
5 Unit 5, Note cards, Lit. review, Works cited

e.g. Philip Thomas attempts to dispel this notion that "psychiatry, like medicine, [is] an area of
knowledge unsullied by the complications of society and politics" (4).

OR: Philip Thomas (4) attempts to dispel this notion that "psychiatry, like medicine, [is] an area of
knowledge unsullied by the complications of society and politics."

8. When authors are unknown: If a source does not include an author's name, use the title or
an abbreviated title in the text or parenthetical citation. Underline the title if the source
is a book; if the source is an article, use quotation marks:
e.g.
The use of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems has grown substantially over the
past five years as companies attempt to adapt to customer needs and to improve their
profitability ("Making CRM Work").
The number of people who are becoming vegetarian has been on the rise since the 1970s (“Trends
In Eating Habits” 4).

9. Indirect source: Although it is better to get your information straight from the horse’s
mouth, sometimes you will need to use indirect sources. An indirect source is someone’s
published account of another’s spoken remarks.
e.g. Greenough claims that genetic engineering can be a “a frightening concept when misunderstood”
(qtd. in Lerner 45).

Note: Lerner is the author of the book where you found this quote. Thus, Lerner will appear in
your Woks Cited page, not Greenough. If you only included the page number here, your reader
would believe Greenough was the author and would look for her name in the works cited page.

10. Multi-volume works: If you are referring to a multi-volume work like an encyclopedia AND
you used more than one volume of that work in your paper, then your parenthetical
reference should include the volume number you used, as in the following example where
we are referring to pages 2-4 of the third volume:
e.g. Experts believe that the chicken came before the egg ("Egg" 3:2-4).

 Verbs that help with author-prominent referencing

add affirm agree allege assert

claim clarify conform contend contest
describe disagree dispute found highlight
imply justify maintain offer point out
predict question reason remark show
state suggest theorize

Example:
As Shrensky has noted in an earlier paper, poodles can be taught to sing (25).
Shrensky demonstrates that poodles can be taught to sing (25).
Miniature poodles can be taught to sing (Shrensky 25).
Shrensky alleges/claims that poodles can sing (25).
According to Wilson and Collins, Shrensky's study is nonsense (50).
Wilson and Collins say that Shrensky's study is nonsense (50).

III. WRITING WORKS CITED / REFERENCES

6 Unit 5, Note cards, Lit. review, Works cited

1.Format: double spacing within the same work; in alphabetical order

 List all of the sources cited in the text.
 Arrange entries alphabetically according to the author’s or editor’s last name.
 If the reference is published by an organization and no author’s name is given, alphabetize
by the first important word in the name of the group. If no author, editor, or group is
indicated, alphabetize the entry by the first word of the title. (Never alphabetize by the
articles “A,” An,” or “The.”)
 Type the word “Works Cited” in uppercase and lowercase letters, centered, at the top of the
page.
 Use a hanging indent format, i.e. the first line of each reference entry is set flush left and
subsequent lines are indented (5 to 7 spaces or ½ inch).

2. Writing entries
Author’s last name, First name. Book Title. Place of publication: Publisher, Publication
date.
=> Use ---. in place of author’s name for the next entry when s/he is also the author of the
previous book.

García, Cristina. The Agüero Sisters. New York: Ballantine, 1998.

---. Monkey Hunting. New York: Ballantine, 2003.

 Author with a translator:

Allende, Isabel. Daughter of Fortune. Trans. Margaret Sayers Peden. New York: Harper, 2000.
 Multivolume work:
Conway, Jill Ker, ed. Written by Herself. Vol. 2. New York: Random, 1996. 2 vols.
 Articles in a magazine:
=> List, in order, separated by periods,

Author's name. “Title of the Article, in Quotation Marks”. The Title of the Magazine,
underlined The date: page numbers, separated by a colon.

If the magazine is issued monthly, give just the month and year. Abbreviate the names of
the months except May, June, and July.

Fay, J. Michael. "Land of the Surfing Hippos." National Geographic Aug. 2004: 100+.

=> If the magazine is issued weekly, give the exact date.

Lord, Lewis. "There's Something about Mary Todd." US News and World Report 19 Feb. 2001: 53.

 Articles in a newspaper:

Author’s name, if known. “Title of the Article”. Name of the Newspaper The date: page
numbers (including the section letter).
=> Use a plus sign (+) after the page number if the article does not appear on consecutive
pages.
Brummitt, Chris. "Indonesia's Food Needs Expected to Soar." Boston Globe 1 Feb. 2005: A7.
=> If the section is marked with a number rather than a letter, handle the entry as follows:
7 Unit 5, Note cards, Lit. review, Works cited

Wilford, John Noble. "In a Golden Age of Discovery, Faraway Worlds Beckon." New York Times 9
Feb. 1997, late ed., sec. 1: 1+.

 Editor:
Craig, Patricia, ed. Travel Stories. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1998.

 With an anthology:
Begin with (1) the name of the author of the selection, not with the name of the editor
of the anthology. Then give (2) the title of the selection; (3) the title of the anthology;
(4) the name of the editor (preceded by "Ed." for "Edited by"); (5) publication
information; and (6) the pages on which the selection appears.

 Electronic sources:

Name of the author or corporate author (if known). “Title of Webpage or Document.”
Title of the Site, Underlined. Names of any editors. Date of publication or last
update (if available). Name of any sponsoring organization (if available). Date of
access <URL in angle brackets>.

With author
Shiva, Vandana. "Bioethics: A Third World Issue." NativeWeb. 15 Sept. 2004
<http://www.nativeweb.org/pages/legal/shiva.html>.

With corporate (group) author

United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Drinking Water Standards. 8 July 2004. 24 Jan.
2005 <http://www.epa.gov/safewater/standards.html>.

Author unknown
Margaret Sanger Papers Project. 18 Oct. 2000. History Dept., New York U. 6 Dec. 2004
<http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sanger>.

(See MLA handouts for other examples of how to write the parenthetical citations and entries for
the Works Cited list.)