Once you’ve located enough reliable and credible sources to inform your essay, spend time taking notes on them. Because note taking often involves putting information about a subject into your own words, it can help you learn more about your subject and the writers who have been contributing to the conversation you want to join. Taking notes can also help you identify the most important information in your sources.

By studying a source and noting important information, ideas, and arguments, you’ll gain a clearer understanding of the source and your subject. Careful note taking also helps you avoid plagiarism and lays the foundation for drafting your document. You can learn more about taking notes in Chapter 3.