Not all note cards look exactly alike, but here is a common example:

Each note card should record the following:

• Where you found the source (library call number, Web URL, special archive or depository location)
• A topic heading or keyword to indicate which part of your paper the note belongs to

• A full description of the source – author, title, publication information – so that you can later create a footnote or endnote and put the work in your bibliography
• Brief quotations of any material that you might want to use word for word in your paper
• A summary, in your own words, of the main points that relate to your theme (only a few points per card; all points on a card for the same part of your paper); A number in the corner of the card telling you the order in which you took your notes from a particular source