How to Create and Use Source Cards and Note Cards

for Research

Introducing the Civil Rights era to the lives of the characters you were given after completing Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Each student:

• must have at least three sources.

• must have a minimum of two note cards per source card.

• must use one book, one online database, and a media source.

• must use small index cards for their source cards and large cards for their note cards.

Guidelines for the Research Project

What are source cards and why are they important?

• Index cards on which you put all of the publication information you will need about all the sources you use.

• You can refer back to the source without hesitation because all of the information you need will be cited.

• Some research projects require several sources and source cards keep you organized.

• Source cards give you the information you will need if you are ever asked to write a “Works Cited” page of a research paper.

How do I make source cards?

Source Letter

Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. 

Title of Book.Publishing City: Publisher, Copyright Year.

Book Source:

Source Letter

Online Database:

“Title of Article or Entry.”  Name of the Database.  Publication Year. Day Accessed Mon. Accessed Year  Accessed. <URL>.

How do I make source cards?

Source card A:

What are note cards and why are they important?

• When working on a research project, note cards are very valuable.

• Note cards are meant to help you retain important information from the sources you have found.

• When using note cards, you can quote sources and jot down relevant information while organizing yourself.

• It is useful to take notes on index cards because it gives you the flexibility to change the order of your notes or group information together easily.

Note card A:

Note card A (2):

Creating Source Cards for a Video:

During your research, you will most likely stumble upon useful video clips or audio files. You will be expected to cite these sources if you choose to use them.

For example, take a look at this video and then practice your citations.

Source card B:

Note card B:

• Remember to create at least three source cards.

• Each source card must have at least two note cards to accompany it.

• When quoting sources, make sure to include “…” around the quote, followed by the page number.Ex: Source A.“The hoses were so intense that one student had his shirt ripped off by the water” (69).

If you still need help, go here.