It's possible that your research will result in a mass of notes, so it's easy for valuable information to get lost in disorganisation and poor planning. The following tips can help improve the quality of your research notes as well as making them accessible and useful when it comes time to use them for your memoir writing.
Accuracy of Notes
The accuracy of your notes is of immense importance, and taking extra care while taking your notes can save you hours later. Pay particular attention to dates, names and places, as these can be easily noted down incorrectly when tired or rushed. These may not be so noticeable to pick up when you late refer back to your notes (consider where you have written 1092 instead of 1923). Take time to check while note taking.
Dedicated Journal
Keep a journal with you at all times for your research notes. Try to keep your research together in one journal, and separate this into relevant sections. This will make it easier when searching for information later on. Always make reference notes as to where your research took place. If possible, type your notes into a computer as soon as possible. Handwritten notes, particularly if scribbled, can be misread at a later date.
Check Your Facts
At least twice and sometimes three times or more. It's not that unusual to have conflicting authorities. If you are in doubt as to which is correct, avoid using it, or it you must, state the source that you are using.
Make a Note of Your Sources
It's easy enough to forget: you write down a great quote or line from your research and then you need to refer back to it later or reference it in your writing. Only you didn't note down the source, or if you did you forgot the page! Many a researcher has wasted valuable time searching through a book or books again trying to find the sought-out text. Get into the habit of always writing down the full source of your research (title, author, publisher, page).
Photocopying Rules
- If the material is our of copywrite then there is no restriction on photocopying.
- For a book in copyright, one-tenth may be photocopied.
- All other printed matter is restricted to one article from any one issue of a newspaper or periodical.
- Unless of course, you have permission from the copyright owner.
Notes are only valuable to a writer when they are accessible and accurate at the time when they come to use them. Research can take months, sometimes years, and it's not always possible to go back and check the source, so taking the extra care and effort at the time, when taking notes, is a great habit to establish.
See also Research Tips for Memoirs
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