Natd03

Welcome!

Hello, Natd03, and welcome to Wikipedia! My name is Shalor and I work with the Wiki Education Foundation; I help support students who are editing as part of a class assignment.

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If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me on my talk page. Shalor (Wiki Ed) (talk) 15:14, 29 August 2018 (UTC)

Tone

Hi! I have some notes for you on the article on Cornell Notes.

• The first is tone. Articles cannot take a specific stance on a topic, as taking a stance is seen as bias - even if the intention wasn't to give a slanted viewpoint. In other words, we cannot say that a certain thing is more effective than another or that it works better/faster than something else does. We can say that someone else claims this, but it cannot be written as Wikipedia stating that this is a general fact. So for example, the following sentences are problematic because they're specifically telling the reader that this note taking method is better and effective than other methods.

Cornell note-taking can give students an effectiveness in organized of thoughts that they have been taught and give a better review in recollecting all the information that they have learned.

The Cornell note taking system is not only a fast method of writing notes, but one is able to absorb the information that is given at a faster rate. This results in better exam outcomes.

• Also be careful of sources, as not all sources are seen as reliable. For example, ToolHero would most likely not be seen as reliable on Wikipedia because there's not a lot of information on their site about their editorial oversight and they do accept submissions from readers. Similar sites like CliffNotes and SparkNotes aren't seen as reliable on Wikipedia for similar reasons. Also make sure that you look at papers when using them as a source. If it's a student paper, then the source cannot be used unless it's something like a successfully defended doctoral thesis.

On a related note, studies need to be backed up with a secondary source that covers the study. This is because the study is a primary source, as the authors participated in the research or documented their personal experiences. A secondary source is one that summarizes one or more primary sources such as a literature review or an article that examines the study in question. A secondary source shouldn't be written by the people who wrote the primary source itself.

• Finally, make sure that the content isn't being written in a too casual style. Avoid things like "you" or directly asking the reader questions. Also avoid subjective words and phrase, such as "it is important". The reason for this is that what may seem as important to one may not be to the next person, as people approach things differently. So for example, this section:

It's important to recite the information by covering the note-taking column (with a paper or folder, for example) and then looking at the questions or cue-words column, and saying the answers to the questions, ideas, or facts in your own words. Ask yourself questions while studying: "Why is this material significant?" "How can I apply this to the real-world?" Take the time to study your Cornell Notes, take at least 10 minutes each week and go over your notes. By studying a little bit each day or each week, you will have a greater success rate by retaining more information.

Could be re-written like this:

When reviewing notes, the Cornell Learning Strategies Center recommends that the individual cover the note-taking column and answer the questions or cue-words in the question and cue column in their own words. They further state that while studying the person should reflect on the material by asking questions about the material such as how it pertains to its significance and real world application, as well as take at least ten minutes each week to review their notes, as this should help them achieve a greater success rate by retaining more information.

This shifts it away from seeming like it's you (the editor) recommending this to the person and more of a summary of what Cornell has written. You can use any or all of this (or none!) if you wish.

This really is a good topic as it's very interesting and the article does need some TLC, so good choice on the article - well spotted! Shalor (Wiki Ed) (talk) 19:20, 20 September 2018 (UTC)

You have an overdue training assignment.

Please complete the assigned training modules. --Angang22 (talk) 11:16, 25 September 2018 (UTC)

You have an overdue training assignment.

Please complete the assigned training modules. --Angang22 (talk) 11:14, 2 October 2018 (UTC)