Note 03 · Reading
Keep a reference you can find again
A useful reference explains where a claim came from and how to return to its context.
Record the location
Save the title, author when available and a stable location. For a book, include the edition and page; for a web page, keep the address and the date you read it. These details answer different questions. A title identifies a work, while a page or section identifies the passage you used.
Keep the surrounding meaning
Write a short paraphrase of the claim in your own words and note what the author was discussing. A sentence taken from an example can look like a general rule when its surroundings disappear. If the wording itself matters, distinguish a short quotation clearly from your own explanation.
Check the route through another source
When one author cites another, record whether you read the original or only the later account. Following every reference is rarely necessary, but that distinction prevents an indirect report from becoming an apparent first-hand reading. If the original is unavailable, keep the limit visible beside the claim.