A-manual-for-writers-of-research-papers-theses-and-dissertations

major reasons, and so on). Highlight or label them in the margin. Then mark ideas or datathat you expect to include in your report. (If you use a highlighter, use different colors toindicate these different elements.)Then on the back of the photocopied pages, summarize what you've highlighted or sketch aresponse to it, or make notes in the margin that help you interpret the highlighting. The moreyou write about a source now, the better you will understand and remember it later.4.3.2 Take Notes Relevant to Your Question and Working HypothesisTo make your notes most useful, record not just the facts that you think you can use asevidence, but data that help you explain those facts and their relationship to your claim. Youcan create a notes template to help you remember to look for several different kinds ofinformation (see 4.2.1).The first three items are directly relevant to your working hypothesis:reasons that support your hypothesis or suggest a new oneevidence that supports your reasonsviews that undermine or even contradict your hypothesisDo not limit your notes to supporting data. You will need to respond to data that qualify oreven contradict your hypothesis when you make your case in support of it (see 5.4.3).These next items might not support or challenge your hypothesis, but they may help youexplain its context or simply make your report more readable:historical background of your question, what authorities have said about it, particularlyearlier research (see 6.2.2 and 10.1.1)historical or contemporary context that explains the importance of your questionimportant definitions and principles of analysisanalogies, comparisons, and anecdotes that might not directly support your hypothesisbut do explain or illustrate complicated issues or simply make your analysis moreinterestingstrikingly original language relevant to your topic4.3.3 Record Relevant ContextThose who misreport sources deliberately are dishonest, but an honest researcher can misleadinadvertently if she merely records words and ignores their role or qualifications. To guardagainst misleading your reader, follow these guidelines:www.itpub.net