Read closely. Write clearly.
Taking Down Words
Writing, editing, reading and public argument, taken one sentence at a time.
Why this site exists now
A useful subject guide, with its history stated plainly
TakingDownWords.com was an Indiana politics blog and later a reading blog. This is a new independent writing and reading reference.
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- What Is a Primary Source Depends on Your Research Question A primary source is the thing your research question is about. The same document can be primary for one question and secondary for another.
- How to Take Useful Research Notes for Evidence-Based Writing How to take research notes that keep quotations, paraphrases, and your own ideas separate so every claim stays traceable to its source.
- How to Quote a Source Fairly in Nonfiction Writing How to quote a source fairly by preserving context, accuracy, selection, and attribution so the quoted claim matches the original meaning.
- Research and Evidence Hub Prefer Primary Sources and Verification The Research and Evidence hub routes you by task: prefer primary evidence, show verification steps, and separate source claims from writer conclusions.
- Reading Practice Hub for Critical Nonfiction Readers The reading practice hub routes you to methods for critical analysis, retention, selection, and close attention without moralizing about speed or volume.
- How to Evaluate a Source With Authority Evidence Date and Purpose Evaluate a source by testing its authority, evidence, date, purpose, and corroboration against the specific claim it must support.
- How to Fact-Check an Article with a Claim Inventory How to fact-check an article by building a claim inventory and verifying each assertion against the strongest available primary evidence.
- How to Read More Critically by Tracking Claims and Evidence How to read critically by tracking claims, evidence, assumptions, and omissions so you can see what a text actually requires you to accept.
- How to Remember What You Read with Retrieval and Notes How to remember what you read using retrieval practice, structured notes, and purposeful review instead of passive re-reading.
- How to Choose What to Read Next with a Question Led Process How to choose what to read next by building a question-led selection process that matches texts to the questions you actually want answered.