1、How to Write a Dissertation in EnglishChapter 3Taking Notes3.1 Evaluation of Sources3.2 Content of Notes3.3 Tips on Note-takingQuestions3.4 Types of Notes3.5 Taking Notes on Computers3.6 Avoiding PlagiarismChapter 3Taking Notes Taking notes while reading the collected literature helps students to re
2、cord the information,to document the source,to understand and organize the ideas stimulated by their reflections on what they have read.Careful note-taking can ensure that the students appropriately credit authors for their original ideas,facts,and direct quotations.In addition,well-written and well
3、-organized notes make it easier and more efficient to write the paper.Some people like to take notes on sheets of paper or in a notebook;some prefer to take notes on cards while others choose to take notes on computers.Now,with the popularisation of home computers,taking notes on computers is highly
4、 recommendedChapter 3Taking Notesbecause notes in computers can be easily stored,retrieved,rearranged and used as the students wish.However,some people find cards more friendly and convenient.It is up to the student to decide which way works best for him or her.3.1 Evaluation of Sources3.1 Evaluatio
5、n of Sources It is necessary to evaluate the sources before starting reading and taking notes.Students should not always take what is in print as correct.The following tips are helpful in evaluating sources:1.Pay attention to the author name,the title of the book,the publication information such as
6、publisher,publication date and so on.From these students can sense whether the material is related to their topic,whether the author is an authority in the field and whether the information in the book is up-to-date.Generally speaking,if all other things are equal,recent sources are preferable,espec
7、ially materials concerning science and technology.2.Pay attention to information which leads to the author attitude.The author job and religion may influence his research.In general,a person who works at religion or politics isHow to Write a Dissertation in English3.13.23.3Q3.43.53.6Con3.1 Evaluatio
8、n of Sourceslikely to give biased information,whereas a person working at science and technology tends to provide information based on facts.3.Pay attention to the sources.Are the sources primary or secondary?Does the author write about his own experience and discovery,or retell others experiences a
9、nd discoveries?Generally speaking,primary sources are more reliable than secondary ones.4.Pay attention to the objectivity of the sources.Are the sources biased or objective?Generally speaking,a party paper,religious publications,sensationalistic publications and sometimes government reports are bia
10、sed,while scholarly journals and publications by a university press or an independent organization are more objective.National Enquirer,Weekly World News,The Star Reporter,and Watch Tower belong to the former whereas Journal of the American Medical Association,Philosophy&Public Affairs,ELT Journal,A
11、pplied Linguistics and Foreign Literature Review belong to the latter.How to Write a Dissertation in English3.13.23.3Q3.43.53.6Con3.1 Evaluation of SourcesRobert Dees sets the following criteria for evaluating sources:1.It was written by a reliable authority whose methods and reasoning appear valid.
12、Not everything you use in your research has to(or should)be written by someone with a Ph.D.,but the author education,experience with the topic,and reputation should play a major part in your evaluation and use of a work.2.It offers facts and ideas other sources do not.3.It sets forth facts and ideas
13、 that do not contradict known concepts or other works without good evidence.4.It demonstrates knowledge and consideration of other viewpoints and research in the field.Look for discussion of opposing ideas,as well as the application and citation of others works.How to Write a Dissertation in English
14、3.13.23.3Q3.43.53.6Con3.1 Evaluation of Sources5.It is current in terms of both its publication date and its information.Remember that knowledge changes more rapidly in some fields than in others.Ideas in the humanities,for example,tend to remain consistent longer than those in the sciences,where co
15、nstant research and new technology change existing knowledge daily(Dees 145).How to Write a Dissertation in English3.13.23.3Q3.43.53.6Con3.2 Content of Notes3.2 Content of Notes The content of a note includes whatever a student thinks he or she might need for his or her research paper.Important thou
16、ghts,ideas,quotes,facts or statistics often make up the content of a note.Summarize the information as much as possible in one own words because this will help avoid inadvertently plagiarizing information.Put double quotation marks around any material copied and make sure the information is transfer
17、red accurately.To be specific,a note usually includes the following items:1.The background information;2.A summary of general ideas supporting the preliminary thesis statement;3.Explanatory information such as definition,a plot summary and bibliographical data;4.Direct quotations,examples,facts and
18、anecdotes;5.Statistics such as percentages,weights,amount of money,ratios and dates.How to Write a Dissertation in English3.13.23.3Q3.43.53.6Con3.3 Tips on Note-taking3.3 Tips on Note-takingHow to Write a Dissertation in English3.3.1 Documenting Sources3.3.2 Being Thorough and Concise3.3.3 Putting O
19、ne Item on One Card3.3.4 A Sample Note1 2 3 43.13.23.3Q3.43.53.6Con3.3.1 Documenting Sources Document the source before writing down the information,i.e.write down the author,the title,the place of publication,the publisher,the date of publication or the copyright date,and the page number(s)where th
20、e information is found.The documentation varies according to types of sources:books,magazines,journals,newspapers,electronic databases,and the Internet.For details,refer to Chapters 5 and 6 for documentation methods.How to Write a Dissertation in English1 2 3 43.13.23.3Q3.43.53.6Con3.3.2 Being Thoro
21、ugh and Concise Write down neither too much nor too little in taking notes.In other words,“be both thorough and concise”(Gibaldi Handbook 30).Write down what is necessary,namely,what is relevant to the topic of the paper but unknown in or different from other sources.Try to be faithful to the opinio
22、n of the author and show credit to the authority by covering all the major points and providing appropriate documentation or acknowledgements.In direct quotations,it is essential to record the original source exactly and put what is quoted inside double quotation marks.How to Write a Dissertation in
23、 English1 2 3 43.13.23.3Q3.43.53.6Con3.3.3 Putting One Item on One Card Write each item on a separate card.If more than one piece of information is put on one card,the student might mix the topics or sources,and as a result,get confused when he or she goes about writing the paper.One item on one car
24、d helps the student reshuffle and rearrange information.How to Write a Dissertation in English1 2 3 43.13.23.3Q3.43.53.6Con3.3.4 A Sample NoteHow to Write a Dissertation in English1 2 3 43.13.23.3Q3.43.53.6Con3.4 Types of Notes3.4 Types of NotesHow to Write a Dissertation in English3.4.1 Direct Quot
25、ation Notes3.4.2 Paraphrase Notes3.4.3 Summary Notes3.4.4 Combination Notes There are four major types of notes:direct quotations,paraphrase notes,summary notes and combination notes.Direct quotations record materials exactly from the sources.Paraphrase notes restate the ideas in the students own wo
26、rds.Summary notes sum up the major points of the information in the students own words.Combination notes combine the above three types of notes.1 2 3 43.13.23.3Q3.43.53.6Con3.4.1 Direct Quotation Notes Use direct quotations only when other words,phrases,structures fail to express the information bet
27、ter than those in the original source.How to Write a Dissertation in English1 2 3 43.13.23.3Q3.43.53.6Sociolinguistics “Sociolinguistics is the field that studies the relation between language and society,between the uses of language and the social structures in which the users of language live.”Spo
28、lsky,Bernard.Sociolinguistics.Oxford:Oxford UP,1998:3 However,direct quotations must be used discriminately because it generally accounts for only ten to twenty percent of a paper.Con3.4.2 Paraphrase Notes Paraphrase means accurately restating the original information in ones own words and phrasing,
29、without any additional comments or elaborations.A paraphrase note is usually of the same length with the original.Although quotation marks are not used in paraphrase notes,proper documentation is necessary.e.g.How to Write a Dissertation in English1 2 3 43.13.23.3Q3.43.53.6The Third Wave According t
30、o Alvin Toffler,there have been two revolutionary periods of change in history:the agricultural revolution and the industrial revolution.The industrial revolution determined the course of history for thousands of years;the industrial civilization lasted about a century.We are now on the threshold of
31、 a new period of revolutionary change,but this one may last for only a few decades(10).Gibaldi,Joseph.MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.New York:MLA:32-33.Con3.4.3 Summary Notes A summary note summarizes the major points of the original by restating them in the writers own words.Some key w
32、ords of the original may be used,but they must be put in quotation marks.Again a summary note must be properly documented.e.g.How to Write a Dissertation in English1 2 3 43.13.23.3Q3.43.53.6Classification of Learning Strategies Second language learning strategies consist of two categories.They are l
33、anguage learning strategies and language use strategies.The latter can be further divided into retrieval strategies,rehearsal strategies,cover strategies and communicative strategies.Cohen,Andrew D.Strategies in Learning and Using a Second Language.London:Longman,1998:5-7.Con3.4.4 Combination Notes
34、A combination note,as the name implies,is one that combines direct quotation,paraphrase and summary.Its advantage lies in the fact that it adopts flexible note-taking methods.Look at the following example:How to Write a Dissertation in English1 2 3 43.13.23.3Q3.43.53.6 Research on language learning
35、strategies began in the 1960s.Scholars such as Oxford(1990),Oalley&Chamot(1990),Ellis(1994),and Cohen(1998)have been working on definitions and classifications of language learning strategies(LLS),investigation of LLS used by good learners,experimental study on the impact of LLS training on language
36、 skill improvement.According to Cohen(1998),foreign language learning strategies(FLLS)training has been conducted,but mostly through lectures or intensive training.Besides,fewer studies have immersed the training in language instruction.Or as OMalley&Chamot put it(1990),“research on training second
37、language learners to use learning strategies hasCon3.4.4 Combination Notesbeen limited almost exclusively to applications with vocabulary task.Dramatic improvements in vocabulary learning tasks presented in one-to-one training have been reported in these studies.There were no instances in which trai
38、ning in learning strategies in second language acquisition was performed in a natural classroom instructional setting or by the teacher of the students who served as subjects”(7).How to Write a Dissertation in English3.13.23.3Q3.43.53.61 2 3 4Con3.5 Taking Notes on Computers3.5 Taking Notes on Compu
39、ters With the popularisation of computers,more and more people rely on computers to take notes because notes can be easily stored and retrieved.Besides,computers enable users to revise and reorganize notes at will,to integrate them into the research paper when it comes to the writing stage,or to fil
40、e them for later projects.The following are some guidelines for taking notes on computers:1.Be familiar with a word processing program such as Microsoft Word;2.Begin a new note on a new page;3.Write some keywords on each page;4.Put the notes with the same keywords into a single file.How to Write a D
41、issertation in English3.13.23.3Q3.43.53.6Con3.6 Avoiding Plagiarism3.6 Avoiding Plagiarism Plagiarism is“the use of facts,opinions,and language taken from another writer without acknowledgement”(Ding and Wu 151).In other words,plagiarism is to steal from the writings or ideas of another person.Plagi
42、arism happens when one uses other peoples words and phrases but does not acknowledge it or does not acknowledge it properly,or when one restates or copies others opinion as though it were his or her own.Plagiarism is a grave offence and a serious breach of ethics in higher education.Neither lack of
43、intent nor claiming that one does it accidentally can protect him or her from severe penalty,which might be the failure of a course,the deprival of his or her diploma,or permanent expulsion.Emphasizing the importance of avoiding plagiarism does not mean that other peoples opinions and ideas cannot b
44、e used.On the contrary,it is a good indication of ones extensive research and sincere attitude of study if one quotes properly.How to Write a Dissertation in English3.13.23.3Q3.4 3.53.6 1 2Con3.6 Taking Notes on ComputersHow to Write a Dissertation in English3.6.1 Forms of Plagiarism3.6.2 Tips on Av
45、oiding Plagiarism3.13.23.3Q3.4 3.53.6 1 2Con3.6.1 Forms of Plagiarism Plagiarism can be deliberate or accidental.Deliberate plagiarism happens when one copies the work of others and pretends that it is his or her own without acknowledgement.Accidental plagiarism or unconscious plagiarism happens whe
46、n one does not intend to plagiarize,but fails to cite the sources appropriately.Unconscious plagiarism can be paraphrases with no citation or misplaced citations.Paraphrases with no Citation Paraphrase is an accurate restatement of the original in ones own words.Plagiarism occurs when one uses the o
47、riginal words in his or her paraphrase or uses the original sentence structures though in his or her own words and phrases,but fails to include a citation.How to Write a Dissertation in English3.13.23.3Q3.4 3.53.6 1 2Con3.6.1 Forms of Plagiarism Misplaced Citations All cited materials from the same
48、sources if used several times must be documented separately.Otherwise,the quotation will be regarded as plagiarism because other people would think what is placed after the reference of the source as the writers own comment or reflection.How to Write a Dissertation in English3.13.23.3Q3.4 3.53.6 1 2
49、Con3.6.2 Tips on Avoiding Plagiarism Careful note-taking and a clear understanding of the rules of quotation,paraphrase,and summary can prevent one from plagiarism.Meriwethers guidelines may be helpful:1.Always put quotation marks around any direct statement from someone elses work;2.Give credit to
50、the author for any paraphrase of his or her ideas or statements,even though quotation marks are not used,because these ideas are clearly not your own;3.Reference any material,ideas,or thoughts you found in a specific source if it is evident that they came from your reading and are not common knowled
