3. Keeping record of information source.

The record of the information source is always should be kept, this is generally good practice – so you can easily find information again in the future.  In academia it is essential to reference your work.

• When referring to a book, record the author’s name, the date of publication, the title of the book, the relevant page number, the name of the publisher and the place of publication. 

• When referring to a magazine or newspaper, record the name of the author of the article, the date of publication, the name of the article, the name of the publication, the publication number and page number. 

• When referring to internet sources, record (at least) the full URL or web address and the date you accessed the information.

The main purpose for note-taking is to learn, and probably to prepare for some form of writing.  When you first start out note-taking you may find that you take too many notes, or not enough, or that when you revisit them they are unclear, or which is your opinion and which is the opinion of the author.  You will need to work on these areas – like all life skills – taking effective notes improves with practice.

4. Definition, purposes and types of summaries. How to write a summary

A summary is a restatement of someone else's words in your own words. There are many different kinds of summaries, and they vary according to the degree to which you interpret or analyze the source. Some are pages long, while others are just one or two sentences. However, for all types of summary, the writer is responsible for generally stating, in his or her own words, the main information or argument of another writer.

Before you write the summary, consider why your audience (professor, boss, clients) wants to read it. Why shouldn’t the reader just read the original? Summaries benefit the reader because they offer a concise, general version of the original information. For a busy reader, summaries provide quick overviews of material. Summaries also show readers that you have understood the general point of a text, and in this way, teachers can test your knowledge. The process of summarizing someone else's material enables you to better understand that material. Finally, summaries allow you to introduce knowledge within a research context: you can summarize someone's argument in order to analyze or critique it.

The point of summarising a piece of text is to expose the key underlying points.  You should be able to use your summary in the future to refer to the points raised and use your own explanations and examples of how they may apply to your subject area.

There are three types of summary:

• Main Point Summary

• Key Points Summary

• Outline Summary

Main Point Summary

A main point summary reads much like an article abstract, giving the most important “facts” of the text. It should identify the title, author, and main point or argument. When relevant, it can also include the text's source (book, essay, periodical, journal, etc.). As in all types of summary, a main point summary uses author tags, such as “In her article, N states,” or “Ms. N argues/explains/says/asks/suggests.” These tags will make it clear which ideas are those of the author and the text being summarized, not the summarizer. This type of summary might also use a quote from the text, but the quote should be representative of the text's main idea or point. A main point summary is often used when writing academic papers as a way to introduce the reader to a source and to place the main point of that source into the context of an argument or discussion of an issue.