What exactly is note-taking?
Simply put, note-taking is the act of recording and organizing information in a way that will be useful to you later. There are different strategies for doing this--and sometimes different contexts require you to use a certain method--but there is really no right or wrong way to take notes. The pages on this site will introduce you to several different ways of note-taking and help you develop some helpful skills. They will also discuss ways of taking notes on different media types (such as text, a photograph, a lecture, or a video). Whether you are reading a science textbook, writing a paper for English class, watching a video, or taking a phone message, the ability to take good notes is a great skill to have in your metaphorical toolbox.
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What are some general note-taking strategies?
Read or listen first, then take notes.
Reading or listening before trying to take notes is a good practice for several reasons. The wait between the intake of material and the output of notes serves as processing time. In that time, you are able to truly think about the new material and make sense of it before trying to put in on paper. This allows you to put things in your own words, record only the truly important information, and make note of the things you don't understand. While writing down everything you see may feel like a good note-taking strategy, it is actually much less effective.
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Focus on the important stuff and don't try to write everything.
Whether you are reading an encyclopedia article or listening to a lecture, you very rarely have enough time to write down absolutely everything when you are taking notes. Furthermore, you shouldn't want to, because there are more effective ways to record important information. Focus on key points, important details, and other relevant information tidbits. The things that are important can depend on the reasons you have for taking notes, the context you're in, or the eventual purpose for your notes. In addition to these key details, make sure you record anything that you don't understand or that you want to make sure to come back to later. This way, your notes can serve as a useful memory device.
In general, don't write down connecting words that don't add additional meaning to your notes. Consider leaving them out or using arrows, a diagram, bullets, symbols, a list, or even abbreviations to maintain the intended meaning. Finally, don't worry about writing in complete sentences. You can actually achieve incredible clarity and efficiency of language without getting caught up in having perfect grammar, spelling, and punctuation. |
Put things in your own words.
In general, it is a good idea to put concepts and ideas into your own words when you take notes. For one, it forces you to understand the things that you are writing about. For another, it can help you avoid plagiarism later on in your writing process. Self-questioning can help you put things into your own words, so can the practice of reading/listening first before writing notes.
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Engage in self-questioning.
Asking yourself and answering questions as you read can be a powerful note-taking strategy. It forces you to really think about and analyze what you've read, which leads you to record better, more useful information. You might try asking yourself any or all of the following questions about a text, filling in the blanks as is appropriate to your text selection or assignment.
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Record the source of information in your notes.
Although it may take a few more minutes when writing your notes, recording the source of information (also called a citation) is an incredibly helpful note-taking strategy. By doing this, you know where to look for the information if you need it again later. If you are writing a paper, this will eliminate the need to track down the source of information again when you want to create your bibliography or works cited page. It can also be beneficial if you discover that something you wrote is unclear or you don't understand your intent for writing the information. If you've recorded the information, it's much easier to return to the original source, read it over again, and clarify your notes or writing.
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Explore more!
The strategies and techniques above introduce a general approach to note-taking. Not all of these strategies will apply to every situation where you want to take notes, but are intended to give you a general foundation. To look more closely at taking notes for different forms and media, to experiment with different styles of note-taking, or to learn more about plagiarism, select the appropriate button below.