Research paper launch — citation-ribbon note-card workflow and the Q/P/S decision

Quick-write: 'When you take notes for a research paper, what gets captured? What gets LOST?'

• Listen for awareness that content WITHOUT citation = future plagiarism risk
• Tee up the citation-ribbon discipline

Plagiarism most often happens by ACCIDENT — you took a note in your own words but forgot to mark the source. The citation-ribbon workflow prevents this. MG-27: TOP of card = author + short title + page. MARGIN = Q (quote) / P (paraphrase) / S (summary). MIDDLE = content. BOTTOM = your thinking. Color-code by source. Today we also make the Q/P/S decision: QUOTE when exact wording matters; PARAPHRASE when ideas matter but not wording (the default); SUMMARIZE for context or synthesis. All three require citation. Use Notice & Note signposts to identify quote-worthy passages.

• When phrasing IS the point, quote.

  model QUOTE — phrasing is memorable and rhetorically charged.

  prompt Nakate page 47: 'My continent contributes the least to climate change, yet suffers some of its worst consequences.' Q/P/S?
• Numbers are paraphrased, not quoted.

  model PARAPHRASE with attribution. Statistics are facts — paraphrase to integrate.

  prompt AU Climate Report page 12: 'Africa contributes less than 4 percent of global emissions but bears 17 percent of climate-related deaths.' Q/P/S?
• Summarize for synthesis.

  model SUMMARIZE: 'Aveni argues that the Maya calendar's interlocking cycles allowed astronomical predictions over centuries (Aveni 31-83).' One sentence condenses 50 pages.

  prompt A 50-page chapter on Maya calendar. You want one sentence summarizing complexity. Q/P/S?

• Pair-share: name one passage you'll QUOTE and one you'll PARAPHRASE.
• Cold Call: what does the BOTTOM of a note card capture?
• Thumbs: I can apply the Q/P/S decision (up) / I need re-explanation (down)

M-7-F-RES-06-A Chart

MG-27 note-card template: 5x7 card with 4 labeled fields (top source info; margin Q/P/S code; middle content; bottom thinking). Worked example filled in with Nakate quote. Print-ready 5x7 card stock and 11x17 display.

MG-27 Chart

Note-card / citation-ribbon workflow anchor: 1-card template. EACH NOTE CARD captures: SOURCE INFO (author last name + short title + page) at the TOP; NOTE TYPE (Q for quote, P for paraphrase, S for summary) coded in margin; CONTENT in the middle; YOUR THINKING/REACTION at the bottom. Cards are color-coded by source (one color per source — 4-6 colors per paper). DIGITAL alternative: a spreadsheet with the same columns OR a Zotero/NoodleTools entry. Bottom rule: 'Capture the citation at the point of note-taking. Retroactive citation is where plagiarism enters by accident.' Worked example card filled in. Print-ready 5x7 card stock.

M-7-F-RES-06-B Chart

MG-9 matrix: 3-column card. Quote/paraphrase/summarize with decision criteria and worked examples. Bottom rule: 'Most of your paper is paraphrase. Quote sparingly.' Print-ready 11x17.

MG-9 Chart

Quote vs. paraphrase vs. summarize three-way decision matrix: 3-column card. QUOTE (left) — use when exact wording matters: memorable phrasing ('I have a dream'), technical terminology (legal definitions), contested language (words being analyzed). Keep short — over 4 lines = block quote (rarely needed at G7). PARAPHRASE (middle) — use when ideas matter but not wording. The default for most evidence. Apply all 3 paraphrase rules. SUMMARIZE (right) — use when the main idea condensed is enough: when synthesizing a whole article into 1-2 sentences, when context-setting for the reader. All three REQUIRE CITATION. Bottom rule: 'Most of your paper should be paraphrase. Quote sparingly for memorable or technical language. Summarize for context and synthesis.' Print-ready 11x17.

• Fill 3 note cards from your FIRST source. Source info at top; Q/P/S in margin; content in middle; thinking at bottom.

  scaffold MG-27 template; color-coded card stock
• Fill 3 more from your SECOND source. Apply Q/P/S deliberately — at least 1 of each type across 6 cards.

  scaffold MG-9 decision matrix

• Hand in your 6 note cards. Check: source info at top? Q/P/S in margin? Thinking at bottom?

• Restate: capture citation at point of note
• Preview: three paraphrasing rules

• Fill 6-8 more note cards from remaining sources. Mix Q/P/S. Bring tomorrow.