notecards

[Ellen Fisher <EFisher610@AOL.COM>]

I was taught to do research using notecards and the method makes a lot of
sense for a number of reasons:
small format encourages 1 idea per card
source associated exactly with idea
small format encourages not copying word for word
cards are easy to sort to produce outline
you can add your own thoughts to new cards as connections occur to you
the paper is easy to write from well-sorted cards in outline order--it almost
writes itself if you have done all the preceding steps well

Even with word processing, which makes rewriting and re-organizing ever so
much easier, there is no substitute for the thinking process, which the use
of note cards facilitates at every step: from taking the notes to organizing
the concepts to writing the paper.  Thinking seems to be out of fashion among
today's students.

As much as I believe in it, it is even difficult to make myself use this
method in these days of no time, photocopying, printing, cutting and pasting,
etc.  But it is a good method, nonetheless, because it forces you to think as
you read and take notes so you know how to get the essence of the idea on the
notecard.  Photocopying et al is an invitation to bypass the thought process
imho.

Some of our teachers still use this method, but I don't know if all do.

Ellen Fisher, Librarian
Radnor HS, Radnor PA
efisher610@aol.com

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