Let’s say your sister and her partner are having a baby shower. You and your family have planned a lovely event, and everyone has a great time. The playlist is perfect, you managed to find enough chairs for everyone, and the cupcakes came out beautifully. Your sister and her partner open the presents: so many thoughtful gifts! Clothes, toys, books, and all sorts of gear.

The day after the party, your sister calls you and says “I want to write thank-you cards for all the amazing gifts, but I can’t remember who gave us what! This is so embarrassing!” Being the good sibling that you are, you save the day: “I knew this would happen, so I took notes while you were opening the presents. I’ll text you the list.” Your sister owes you one.

The same thing happens in research writing.  When you’re looking for sources and have started searching through different resources, it can be difficult to remember where you found that material later.  Also, after you’ve located the material you want to use, you have to determine what is most useful to incorporate in the essay and what is helpful information for you to use as you form your argument.  This section will help you take notes along the way and keep track of all of your material.