Selecting a Topic

Selecting a research topic can be a daunting task because it must be an informed

choice, which is very crucial especially to students. However, it can be easy because
any topic will serve your purpose depending on your interest; usefulness, value/impact,
and relevance of the topic; availability of resources; and most importantly your ability to
write about it and finish it within a given time. You may consider the following questions
in choosing an appropriate topic for research:
1. Am I really interested in the topic? Is it useful to my field of interest?
2. Is it relevant? Will it impact me, others, or society? Will it benefit my target audience?
3. Are sources available and accessible?
4. Will there be enough time to write about it?
STRATEGIES IN GENERATING IDEAS FOR A RESEARCH TOPIC
1. Using a personal experience. This refers to the use of your own personal stories,
particularly your experiences, your advocacies, and your cultural background, among
others in your academic studies.
2. Discuss with family members, friends, or teachers. This refers to finding a subject by
talking or having conversations and discourses with your parents, siblings, relatives,
friends, or teachers.
3. Freewriting. This refers to writing continuously without giving attention to grammar, style,
coherence, punctuation marks, or even penmanship.
4. Listing. This refers to listing down key terms related to your interest in the study.
5. Webbing or Clustering. This refers to creating a web or cluster of ideas around a primary
idea.
6. Asking questions. This refers to asking questions focusing attention on the main issue
related to the topic that you want to work on.
SOME TOPICS TO AVOID:
1. Too broad (e.g., parliamentary system [What about it?] [What is your focus?]
2. Explanation of a process.
3. Biography or autobiography.
4. Trivial (e.g., A comparison of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck)
5. Questions on morality and religion.
6. Worn-out (e.g., Effects of marijuana on mental health)
7. Too little information (Note: Always consider the availability of resources in your library.)
STRATEGIES IN NARROWING DOWN A CENTRAL TOPIC
Once you have decided on your general topic, you need to narrow it down into a more
specific and focused one. You can still use the aforementioned strategies in generating ideas
for a working topic when you narrow down your topic. However, the most common strategy in
refining the focus of your general topic can be done through the inverted pyramid. In using
the inverted pyramid as a strategy in narrowing down your topic, you must first write your
general topic on the topmost part. Then, continue writing downwards the pyramid by focusing
on what you specifically want to write about your topic as you get to the base of the pyramid.
Look at the example below.
* from the most important to
the least important
and/or
* from a general topic to
specific topic
Example1. General Topic: Political Dynasty
Political Dynasty in the Philippines
Political Dynasty in the Philippines and Its Effects
Political Dynasty in the Philippines
and Its Effect on the Political System
Specific Topic: Effects of Political Dynasty on the
Political System in Makati City.

Example 2. General Topic: Health Care

Health Care Policy in the Philippines
Issues on the Health Care Policy in the Philippines
Solving the Issues on the Health Care
Policy in Manila
Specific Topic: Confronting
Challenges in Health Care Policy
in Manila through Participatory
Development Framework
 Referencing
and Note-taking Skills
ESSENTIALS OF DOCUMENTING SOURCES
Proper documentation of all borrowed ideas, information, concepts, arguments, or
information for your research and other academic writings is very important. This is done
through citations which serve the following purposes.
1. To avoid plagiarism.
2. To make your paper more scholarly.
3. To help your target audience identify your original source.
There are two forms of citations. One is in-text and the other one is reference citation.
1. In-text citation is citing the last name/s of the author/s or name of the organization, the year of
publication, and page numbers (for direct quotation) of the original source depending on the
citation style or format being followed on the citation style or format being followed. In-text
citations appear in the text.
2. Reference citation is citing the complete bibliographic entries (author’s last name/s, year of
publication, title of publication, and name of publisher, among others). Reference citations
appear in the reference list found in the last part of the paper.
 A source that is cited in-text should also appear in the reference list.
Moreover, these citations are governed by rules of styles and structures which are generally
published as style guides or manuals. Some of the widely used style guides are:
1. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA)
2. The Modern Language Association Style Guide (MLA)
3. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEP)
4. American Medical Association Manual of Style (AMA)
5. The Chicago Manual of Style
Because there are many guides today, consult your teacher on his/her preference, or refer to
the table below for a style guide specific to your discipline of study.

APA : American Psychological Association (Social Sciences)

MLA : Modern Language Association (Literature, Arts, and the
Humanities
IEEE : Institute of Electronics & Electrical Engineer (Engineering)
AMA : American Medical Association (medicine, health sciences,
and other natural sciences
CMS : Chicago Manual of Style (various subjects)
STYLE GUIDES
Sources of information for both in-text and reference citations can be accessed for free
online.
* For APA and MLA, one source is the APA and MLA Formatting and Style Guide by the
University Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University: APA (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/
owl/resource/560/01); MLA (https://owl.English.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/).
* For IEEE, one source is IEEE Editorial Style Manual (http://www.ieee.org/documents/style_
manual.pdf).
* For AMA, one source is AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors (http://www.
amamanualofstyle.com/view/10.1093/jama/9780195176339.001.0001/med-9780195176339) or
(http://www.lib.jmu.edu/citation/amaguide.pdf).
IN-TEXT CITATIONS
1. APA, 6th edition (pp 169-179)
Basic Rules
a. Follow author’s last name – (latest) year of publication method. APA encourages you to
indicate page numbers even in paraphrases or summaries, but you are not required. Place the
period after the citation when it is at the end of the sentences.
Examples:
According to Sipacio (2014), APA style is required for business students majoring in
marketing.
APA style is required for business students majoring in marketing (Sipacio, 2014, p.54).
b. For two authors, notice in the example the use of “&” when it is inside the parentheses.
Examples:
According to Sipacio and Barrot (2014), APA style is required for business students majoring
in marketing.
APA style is required for business students majoring in marketing (Sipacio & Barrot, 2014).
c. For multiple authors (three or more), use the primary author, followed by et.al. (and authors)
Examples:
According to Sipacio et l. (2014), APA style is required for business students majoring in
marketing.
APA style is required for Business student majors (Sipacio et al.,2014).
d. When you use a direct quote of fewer than 40 words, you are required to include the page
number/s abbreviated as p. or pp. Check the examples focusing on the variety of formats and
the use of capitalization, parentheses, and other quotation marks, spacing, and numbers.
Examples:
Sipacio (2014) claimed that “beginners found the APA style guide as too complex” (p.56).
According to Sipacio (2014) “beginners found the APA style guide as too complex” (p.56).
He claimed that “beginners found the APA style guide as too complex” (Sipacio, 2014, p.56)
because of several factors.
e. When you use a direct quote of more than 40 words, you are still required to include the page
number/s abbreviated as p. or pp. Your direct quote should be in a new line, indented 1.5 inches from
the left margin. Check the example focusing on the spacing and placement of the citation.
Example:
In this article “Poverty in the Philippines: Income, Assets, and Access,” Scheliz (2005) suggest a list
of causes of poverty: (1) low to moderate economic growth for the past 40 years; (2) low growth
elasticity of poverty reduction; (3) weakness in employment generation and the quality of jobs
generated; (4) failure to fully develop the agriculture sector; (5) high inflation during crisis periods; (6)
high levels of population growth; (7) high and persistent levels of inequality (incomes and assets),
which dampen the positive impacts of economic expansion; and (8) recurrent shocks and exposure to
risks such as economic crisis, conflicts, natural disasters, and environmental poverty(p.2).
2. MLA Handbook, 7th edition (Chapter 6) and MLA Style Manual, 3rd edition (Chapter 7)
Basic Rules
a. Follow author’s last name – page method. Check the use of capitalization, parentheses, quotation
marks, period, spacing, and numbers. Notice the absence of a comma in example two.
Examples:
Sipacio claimed that the MLA style is required for students majoring in the humanities (54).
MLA style is required for Humanities student majors (Sipacio 54).
b. For two authors, notice in the example the use of “&” when it is inside the parentheses.
Examples:
Sipacio and Barrot claimed that the MLA style is required for students majoring in the humanities(54).
MLA style is required for students majoring in the humanities (Sipacio & Barrot 54).
c. For multiple authors (three or more), use the primary author, followed by et al. (and authors)
Examples:
Sipacio et al. claimed that MLA style is required for students majoring in the humanities (54).
MLA style is required for students majoring in the humanities (Sipacio et al. 54).
d. Check the examples when you use a less than 40-word direct quote. Notice the use of “qtd. In”
translated as “quoted in” in the third example.
Examples:
Sipacio claimed that “beginners found the MLA style guide as too complex” (56).
As Sipacio claims “beginners found the APA style guide as too complex”(56).
He claimed that “beginners found the APA style guide as too complex”(qtd. In Sipacio 56) because of
several factors.
e. Check the examples when you use a 40-word or more direct quote. Unlike in the APA style, the
spacing for the direct quote in the MLA style is single-spaced.
Example:
In this article “Poverty in the Philippines: Income, Assets, and Access,” Scheliz (2005) suggest a list of
causes of poverty: (1) low to moderate economic growth for the past 40 years; (2) low growth elasticity of
poverty reduction; (3) weakness in employment generation and the quality of jobs generated; (4) failure
to fully develop the agriculture sector; (5) high inflation during crisis periods; (6) high levels of population
growth; (7) high and persistent levels of inequality (incomes and assets), which dampen the positive
impacts of economic expansion; and (8) recurrent shocks and exposure to risks such as economic crisis,
conflicts, natural disasters, and environmental poverty (2).
3. IEEE Editorial Style Manual, 2014 (p 34)
Basic Rules
a. Follow author’s last name – reference number method. A reference number is a number in which the
reference is first cited in the text. When the same reference is cited later, only the same number is used.
Check the example focusing on the variety of formats and the use of capitalization, brackets instead of
parentheses, spacing, and reference numbers.
Examples:
Sipacio claimed that the IEEE style guide is required for engineering majors[1].
There are reasons why beginners argued that the IEEE style is complex [1].
b. For two authors, notice in the examples the use of “&” when it is inside the brackets.
Examples:
Sipacio and Barrot claimed that the IEEE style guide is required for engineering student majors [1].
IEEE style guide is required for engineering student majors [Sipacio & Barrot 1].
c. For multiple authors (three or more), use the primary author, followed by et al. which means “and authors”.
Examples:
Sipacio, et al. claimed that the IEEE style guide is required for engineering student majors [1].
IEEE style guide is required for engineering student majors [Sipacio et al. 1].
d. Check the variety of examples when you use a less than a 40-word direct quote. Notice the use of single
quotation marks.
Examples:
Sipacio claimed that ‘beginners found the APA style guide as too complex’ [1].
As Sipacio claims ‘beginners found the APA style guide as too complex’ [1].
e. Check the examples when you use a 40-word or more direct quote. Single spacing is used. Reduce the
font size.
Example:
In this article “Poverty in the Philippines: Income, Assets, and Access,” Scheliz (2005) suggest a list of
causes of poverty: (1) low to moderate economic growth for the past 40 years; (2) low growth elasticity of
poverty reduction; (3) weakness in employment generation and the quality of jobs generated; (4) failure to
fully develop the agriculture sector; (5) high inflation during crisis periods; (6) high levels of population
growth; (7) high and persistent levels of inequality (incomes and assets), which dampen the positive impacts
of economic expansion; and (8) recurrent shocks and exposure to risks such as economic crisis, conflicts,
natural disasters, and environmental poverty [1 p. 2].
4. AMA Manual of Style 10th edition, (Section, Part 3)
Basic Rules
a. Use a number when you cite a source. Place it by means of superscript after the period of the
sentence. The number should be based on the sequence number of that reference on the reference list
page. Notice the absence of the author’s name.
Example: 1

AMA style is required for health science student majors.

b. When two articles of different authors are cited, use a comma to separate references 1 and 2.
Example: 1.2
AMA style is required for health science student majors.
c. When you use a direct quote that is less than four lines, you enclose it with quotation marks. Use a
reference number by means of superscript, which appears after the closed quotation mark.

Example: 1

“Beginners found the AMA style guide as too complex.” Reference Citations
d. When you use a direct quote of more than four lines, you should use a block quotation that is
indented, single-spaced, and font style similar to the rest of the text. Use reference number by means of
superscript, which appears at the end of the quote after the period.
Example:
In this article “Poverty in the Philippines: Income, Assets, and Access,” Scheliz (2005) suggest a list
of causes of poverty: (1) low to moderate economic growth for the past 40 years; (2) low growth
elasticity of poverty reduction; (3) weakness in employment generation and the quality of jobs
generated; (4) failure to fully develop the agriculture sector; (5) high inflation during crisis periods; (6)
high levels of population growth; (7) high and persistent levels of inequality (incomes and assets), which
dampen the positive impacts of economic expansion; and (8) recurrent shocks and exposure to risks
such as economic crisis, conflicts, natural disasters, and environmental poverty. 3
REFERENCE CITATIONS
APA 6th edition
General Rules
 Place this section on a new page separate from the text of your writing label this page “References”
centered at the top of the page (do not boldface, underline, or use quotation marks for the title).
 Apply hanging indentation. That means the lines after the first one should be indented from the left margin.
 Double-space all texts just like the rest of the paper.
 Follow this sequence in writing the names of the author: last name, then the initial of the first name
including the middle initial.
 Arrange the references in alphabetical order by the last name of the first author of each work.
 Use capitalization in all content words in academic journal titles.
 Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of a title, the first letter of the first word of its subtitle after a
colon, and proper nouns.
 Italicize the titles. When the article title is used, italicize only the journal title.
 Remove hyperlinks of the URL for online sources.
 Place a period at the end of the entry for print sources only.
 Put “n.d.” (no date) for sources with no date.
 The following are some of the sources most commonly used in research writing. Look closely at the
given examples. Pay attention to the sequence of entries, parentheses, italics, capitalization, and use of
punctuation marks.
a. Articles from an online journal
If the article has been assigned with a digital object identifier (DOI) then you should indicate it.
Otherwise, use the URL of the article preceded by a signal phrase “Retrieved from”. Include volume
number, issue number enclosed in parentheses (if available), and page numbers.
Examples:
 Barrot, J.S. (2013). A macro perspective on key issues in English as a second language (ESL) pedagogy in the
post method era: Confronting challenges through the socio cognitive-transformative approach. The Asia-Pacific
Education Researcher. doi.:10.1007/s40299-013-0119-4.
 Guthrie, K., & McKracken, H. (2010). Reflective Pedagogy: Making meaning in experiential-based online courses.
Journal of Educators Online, 7 (2), 1-21. retrieved from http://www.thejeo.com/Archives/
Volume7Number2/GuthriePaper.pdf.
b. Book Sections
Include page number/s and place them at the end of the entry.
Example:
 Antonio, L. C. (2010). Study on Recyclables Collection Trends and Best practices in the Philippines. In M. Kojima,
(Ed.), 3R Policies for Southeast and East Asia. ERIA Research Project Report 2009-2010, Jakarta: ERIA. 40-70.
c. Books
Author
The entry for a book begins with the last name of the author, followed by a comma and the author’s initials
followed by periods. The name of the author is followed by the date of publication enclosed in parentheses
followed by a period. Only the first letter of the first word of the book title and the first letter of the first word of the
subtitle and proper names within both are capitalized. The entire title is underlined or italicized followed by a
period. Facts of publication include the city or the location of publication, followed by a colon and the name of
the publisher. The entry ends with a period.
Example:
Cockburn, A. (1991). An Introduction to Evolutionary Ecology. Oxford: Blackwell Science.
Book: more than one author; edition other than the first
For a book by more than one author, invert and list the names until the sixth author. Use commas to separate
surnames and initials. Place an ampersand (&) before the name of the last author. For a book with more than
six authors, list the first six only followed by et. al., an abbreviation for “and others.”
For an edition other than the first, identify the edition number or the specific volume with parentheses following
the title of the book without intervening punctuation.
Example:
Nebel, B. J., & Wright, R. T. (1996). Environmental Science (5th ed.). Oxford: Blackwell Science.
Book: edited
Indicate that a book is an edited volume by placing the abbreviation for editor (Ed.) or editors (Eds.) within
parentheses in the author position.
Example:
Reeves, M.C. (Ed.). (1999). Environmental Science. New York: Willey-Liss.
d. Articles
In writing an article entry, begin with the surname of the author followed by the initials—initial of the first name first
followed by the middle initial. The year of publication follows in parentheses then is punctuated by a period. For a
magazine or a newspaper, write the month and the date after the year of publication. The title of the article follows.
Only the first letter of the first word of the title and the subtitle of the article and the proper names are capitalized.
Following the title of the article is the name of the periodical. The first letter of all the words in the name of the
periodical/ journal, except prepositions and articles, are capitalized. The title of the journal is underlined and ends with
a period. Next to the name of the journal is the volume number in Arabic numeral, underlined or italicized—If the
magazine has a year, month, and date of publication, no need to write its volume number. The abbreviation p. or pp.
is used in reference to magazines and newspapers but not to journals.
Note: An encyclopedia article is cited in the same way as an article in an edited book.
Article in a journal with author
Example:
Dodson, S. I. (1970). Complementary Feeding Niches Sustained by Size-Selective Predation. Limnol and
Oceanog. 15, 14–16.
Article in a journal, no author
Example:
Saving the Environment. (1995, May 12). The Ecologist. 10, 229–230.
Article in an edited book
Example:
Holmes. M. G. (1983). Perception of Shade. P. F. Wareing & H. Smith (Eds.). Photo perception of Plants
pp.137–197), London: The Royal Society.
Article in a magazine
Example:
Chua, A.M. (1980). Understanding the Environment, Nature Magazine, 10, pp. 12–13.
Article in a newspaper
Example:
Andrada, N. (1996, May 3). How to Become an Environmentalist. The Malaya, p. B–ll.
Article in a newspaper without an author
Example:
How to Become an Environmentalist. (1996, May 3). The Malaya, p. B–ll.
e. Conference Papers/Proceedings
Published in a conference proceeding
When contributions to a meeting appear in book form, the entry follows the format for a book. If the researcher
wants to emphasize the author of the paper, the format below should be followed.
Example:
Garcia, E.B. (1998). Nature’s Talk. In E.B. Fernandez (Ed.), Proceedings of the first research forum (pp.
11-15). Urdaneta City: Camacho Press.
Unpublished
For an unpublished contribution to a conference or symposium, the place and the date of the meeting should be
indicated.
Example:
White, R. B. (1997, January). The Growth and Form of Modular Organisms. Paper presented at the meeting of the
New York Association of Biological Science, New York City, U. S. A.
f. Internet Sources
OWL Purdue University Online Writing Lab (n.d.) APA style. Retrieved from https://owl.English.purdue.edu/owl/
section/2/10
g. Personal Communication
A personal interview should not appear in the reference list but should be cited in-text.
Examples:
 S. Tabiola (personal communication, November 30, 2014)
 (S. Tabiola, personal communication, November 30, 2014)
h. The same author in the same year
Examples:
 Barrot, J. S. (2013a). A macro perspective on key issues in English as a second language (ESL) pedagogy in the
post-modern era: Confronting challenges through socio cognitive-transformative approach. The Asia-Pacific
Education Researcher. doi: 10.1007/s40299-013-0119-4.
 Barrot, J. S. (2013b). Revisiting the role of linguistic complexity in ESL reading comprehension. #L: The Southeast
Asian Journal of English Language Studies. Retrieved from http://core.kmi.open.ac.uk/download/pdf/11494968.pdf
i. Doctoral Dissertations: Unpublished
The title of the dissertation should be underlined; the researcher should indicate that it is unpublished;
the name of the university where it was written as well as the address should be written.
Example:
Soriano, V. L. (1990). Numerical changes and population regulation in young, migratory trout ‘Salmo truta’ in a Lake
District Stream. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
MLA Handbook, 8th edition
General Rules
 Place this on a new page separate from the text of your writing: label this “Work/s Cited” centered at the top of the
page (do not boldface, underline, or use quotation marks for the title).
Just like in the APA format, apply hanging indentation. That means the lines after the first one should be indented
from the left margin.
 All text should be double-spaced just like the rest of the paper.
 List the entries in alphabetical order by the author’s last name (or, for entire edited collections or anthologies, write
the editor’s name). Write the last name of the author followed by his/her first name; if the middle name or initial is
available, indicate it and it should follow the first name.
 Italicize the titles.
 Capitalize the first letters of all content words in the titles.
 You may or may not include the URL. However, if you include the URL, enclose it in brackets and end it in a
period.
 Place a period at the end of all entries.
 Provide page numbers of sources. Use an en dash to indicate page range.
Example: Journal Articles (Italicize the journal-title. Include volume number, issue number enclosed in
parentheses (if available), and page number/s.
Magno, Carlo. “The role of metacognitive skills in developing critical thinking.” Metacognition Learning, vol. 5,
2010, pp. 137-156.
IEEE Editorial Style Manual, 2014
General Rules
 Place this on a new page separate from the text of your writing: label this “References” centered at the top of the
page (do not boldface, underline, or use quotation marks for the title).
 Do not apply hanging indentation unlike in APA and MLA format.  All text should be double-spaced just like the
rest of the paper. Single space all texts.
 List the entries in alphabetical order by the author’s last name (or, for entire edited collections or anthologies, write
the editor’s name). Author names are written first name (initial only)-Last name.
 Do not cut the titles or add words to them.
 Enclose the titles with quotation marks.
 Use capitalization in all content words in the titles.
 Include the article’s URL if it has not been assigned with a DOI.
 Place a period at the end of all entries.
 Provide page numbers of sources. Use an en dash to indicate page range.
Examples:
Books-Two Authors
J. Dryzek, J. and P. Dunleavy, Theories of the democratic state. NH: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009
Journal Articles
C. Magno, “The role of metacognitive skills in developing critical thinking,“ Metacognition Learning, vol. 5, pp.
137-156. March 2010.
AMA Manual of Style, 10th edition
General Rules
 Place this on a new page separate from the text of your writing: label this “References” centered at the top of the
page (do not boldface, underline, or use quotation marks for the title).
 List your references based on numerical order reflecting the order of your in-text citation, not in alphabetical order.
 Do not apply hanging indentation unlike in APA and MLA format.
 Single space and left-justified (flush left) all texts.
 List the entries in alphabetical order by the author’s last name (or, for entire edited collections or anthologies, write
the editor’s name). Followed by the initial of the first name of the author the initial of his/her second first name or
middle name.
 Do not cut the titles or add words to them.
 Use capitalization in all content words in the titles.
 Place a period at the end of all entries.
 Provide page numbers of sources. Use an en dash in a span of pages.
Examples:
Books-Two Authors
Barrot, J. and Sipacio, P. Purposive Communication in the 21st Century. Quezon City: C & E Publishing, Inc.:2018.
NOTE-TAKING
After choosing a particular topic, what do researchers do next? Chances are, they start to look for
materials such as books, journals, magazines, and newspapers on the subject. The researchers
browse over the materials and select those which they think are relevant and discard those which
are unrelated or unimportant.
Having previewed, selected, and marked the books and other materials useful to their study, the
researchers are now ready to begin to look at these materials in detail. They start taking notes. What
type of notes will they take? Do they need to take down everything? What information will they copy?
What ideas will they borrow?
This will guide the researchers in taking note of relevant information about a chosen topic. Note-
taking is not mere copying. It is a process of closely examining a material, separating essential
information from secondary details, organizing these notes in ways the researchers can understand.
Taking notes reduces a vast amount of information to measurable quantities of relevant data.
Note-taking Strategies
Below are some note-taking strategies researchers may use in gathering information from a text.
Summarizing or Paraphrasing
Summarizing or paraphrasing is the process of condensing information containing the key points
or the main ideas. When surveying a text material, the researcher might choose to extract the main
idea of each paragraph, each section, or the whole chapter. What happens in one’s summary
depends on the researcher’s purpose for reading the text. The length of the summary is also dependent on the
details the researcher wants to go into, but obviously, the summary must be as brief as possible.
The following guidelines will help the researchers with summarizing:
a. Remember to look for main ideas.
b. Read or skim through the text.
c. Select the main points and number them in logical order.
d. Write the main ideas into sentences in numbered order.
Example:
Globalization and easy transportation have helped to make “business on the move” commonplace. Even
hours that were previously frittered away staring out the window of the train are now put into good use with the
aid of a laptop computer and a mobile phone. This type of technology breaks all time and space barriers for
conducting business and many say that this is really just the first step in the global implementation of the
“virtual office.” Employees utilizing electronic mail, real-time conferencing, and bulletin boards have found this
technology is increasingly bringing about a global, linked network for conducting business.
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer, B-11 August 6, 2003.
Summary: Modern-day technologies (laptop computer, mobile phone e-mail, conferencing, and bulletin
boards) break all types of time and space barriers for conducting business.
Writing Quotation Notes
Copying the author’s words verbatim is the easiest task in note-taking. Definitions of a concept,
mathematical formula, and scientific laws or theorems need to be copied directly from the text. Since these
are tools for understanding the subject, it is best to quote them.
Here are some tips in preparing quotation notes:
a. Enclose in quotation marks (“ “) the copied part of the text. This shows that the quoted part is not the
researcher’s idea.
b. Check the spelling and the punctuation of the copied text.
c. Use ellipses (...) for omitted lines of the passage.
d. Acknowledge the source by writing all the page numbers from which the notes have been lifted.
Document properly.
Example:
Deauna, Melecio & Durado, Slavacio. 1996. Environmental Science for Philippine High School. Phoenix Publishing
House. p. 165.
“Calorie is the unit for measuring heat. It is used for measuring the value of foods producing heat and energy in the
Human body equivalent to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water to 1° C.”
POWER TIPS FOR PARAPHRASING AND SUMMARIZING
1. Decide whether to paraphrase or to summarize a text based on its length.
2. Read the text and understand the meaning it conveys. Do not stop reading until you understand the message
conveyed by the author. Specifically for summarizing, locate the gist or main idea of the text, which can be found
at the beginning, middle, or end.
3. Use a pen to underline or highlight the keywords or main idea of the text.
4. Put the text aside.
5. Recall the keywords or main idea of the text that you highlighted when you read it.
6. Write in your own words what you understood about the ideas in the text.
7. Get the original text and compare it with your paraphrase or summary.
8. Check the meaning. Remember, your paraphrase or summary should have the same meaning as the original
text.
9. Check the sentence structure. The sentence structure of your paraphrase or summary should be different from
the original text.
10. Reread your paraphrase or summary and make sure it reflects the idea conveyed in the original text.
11. Record the details of the original source (author’s name/s, date of publication, title, publisher, place of publishing,
and URL., if online). Indicating the page number/s of the original text is not necessary in citing sources in
paraphrases or summaries.
12. Format your paraphrase or summary properly. You are highly encouraged to use different formats to show variety
in writing. These three formats are idea heading, author heading, and date heading.
POWER TIPS FOR QUOTING:
1. Copy exactly the part of the text that you want to use.
2. Use quotation marks to show the beginning and end of the quote.
3. Record the details of the original source (author’s name/s, date of publication, title, publisher, place of publishing,
URL if online, and page numbers). Indicating the page number/s is necessary for citing sources in quoting.
4. Format your quotation properly. When your direct quotation is at least 4o words, it should be indented.
However, when your direct quotation is below 40 words, it should be presented as part of the text.
Activity 1. Identify the in-text citation style used.
1. The purpose of communication could be to inform, to persuade, or to entertain.
2. According to Bonifacio and Del Pilar (2018), the purpose of communication could be to inform, to persuade, or to
entertain.
3. The purpose of communication could be to inform, to persuade, or to entertain [Bonifacio & Del Pilar 1].
4. Bonifacio and Del Pilar claimed that the purpose of communication could be to inform , to persuade, or to
entertain[1].
5. “The purpose of communication could be to inform, to persuade, or to entertain.”1

Activity 2. Compare paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting using a Venn diagram.