Note-taking
With this tentative outline in mind, you can begin taking notes on the information that you expect to include in your paper. Write your notes on four-by-six-inch or five-by-eight-inch cards, or in a computer file. Don't use loose-leaf or notebook paper; doing so makes it harder to organize your notes as you prepare to draft your paper. Notes should be in the form of direct quotations and summaries in your own words. At times, you may also paraphrase—use your own words in place of someone else's. Since most research involves condensing, you will probably summarize much more often than you will paraphrase.