Note Taking Strategies

[bluellie]

I'm a bit embarrassed to have to ask, but... How do you take notes on what you're reading? What tips and tricks do you use?

My own note-taking strategy--bullet points of quotes that I can either quote directly or summarize--seems to work well for shorter papers with a limited number of references. It's a system I've used since high school and while it has worked well for me in the past, I imagine there's a better way to take and organize my notes.

What methods have worked well for you and what haven't? How do you keep all your notes organized?

[joro]

I normally just do regular bullet points and write a page number down in case I need to read it over. I have a friend who takes notes in a somewhat interesting way. For example, let's say the thing to copy down was, "The cow jumped over the moon." He would write this down on his paper: "T_e c_w j_mp_d _v_r th_ m__n." He would take out letters and fill them in later. Apparently it helps him remember things.

[Jae B.]

I have a friend who takes notes in a somewhat interesting way. For example, let's say the thing to copy down was, "The cow jumped over the moon." He would write this down on his paper: "T_e c_w j_mp_d _v_r th_ m__n." He would take out letters and fill them in later. Apparently it helps him remember things.

Wow! I would have such a hard time remembering to do that. Have they been doing it for awhile?

I am always looking for ways to improve my note taking. People who type really intricate outline-style notes impress me. I get too caught up in lectures to do the indenting and highlighting I've seen on some people's screens.

To help me organize, I've been using a nice application called NoteBook. It's useful if you learn all the functions. But I wouldn't recommend not buying multiple licenses if you use more than one computer. As a one-license copy requires, I only ever used one computer's copy at a time, but a security bug in an upgrade still triggered and wiped out half of my notes one semester.

I tend to effectively transcribe lectures first and make bullet points with important points and key terms later. Good for memory, not super efficient.

Sometimes it's fun to look back on lectures I've taken, word-for-word, though. I'm not sure if friends who ask to borrow my notes love it or hate it -- they can enjoy that it's like not missing a thing, but it's a lot to read! Penance.

[joro]

I think he's been doing it since high school. I tried it once, but didn't like it after writing out my first sentence.

[Squawker]

I always start a word document and write the bibliographic info for each source, then under each source just type out full (but not very long, if I can help it) quotations that I think will come in handy. I type out the full quotations to make sure I get the meaning right when I look the notes over later, and also since my university library sucks and there is a huge shortage of books, I normally don't have the luxury of keeping my books around me when I sit down to write the paper. So, by the time I've finished doing my reading for an essay (usually around 4000 words/15 pages?), I tend to have about 50 pages of typed notes. Then I spend a day just reading through them carefully and labeling each passage which whatever paragraph/theme I want to use it in. Then I create a new Word document in which I copy and paste all these quotes into a sort of outline, so I have all my notes sorted by theme. Then I just write the paper with that in front of me.

I developed this method over the course of my first two years of college, and since then I have never received an essay back with less than an excellent grade. Even one time when I realized as I was writing that I had no idea what I was talking about, the well-planned structure and abundance of footnotes it allowed for seems to have saved me and I still pulled off an impressive grade. This method is extremely tedious and inefficient, and I don't really recommend it because by depending on it I've made myself less capable of pulling a decent piece of writing out of my ass. That said, I think it's a really great way to approach long research projects, where you're checking out and returning multiple books at once, and keeping track of everything seems near impossible.

[anxiousapplicant]

For research papers, I tend to use the old-fashioned index card method. I just write a quote or a topic and page number to reference back later. For class, though, I only handwrite notes. I basically take a transcript of the professor's words. It makes me cry when I go to study because I usually wind up with 80+ pages of notes from the lectures, but it always pays off without fail. I do need a better system for notetaking for research, however, so I hope to learn something from this thread.

[Manduhai]

I use two methods. When reading journal articles, I use a PDF library which allows me to make highlights and annotations (e.g. Mendeley, Papers). I can also cut-out good quotes and paste them into the notes section to reference later. I also tag the PDF with important information so it is really easy to come back to latern on. Of course, programs like Mendeley and Papers also work like EndNote, so you can build bibliographies as well.

More recently I have started to use mind-mapping programs (I like xMind) and I will map out key arguments, theories, and quotes from what I read. I can then connect this to other readings, or take parts of the 'map' and add it to another relevant topic. This helps when trying to make sense of complex ideas. It is a great tool for visual learners (like myself).

I have really moved away from storing notes on paper because I feel it takes too much time to retrieve the information when writing articles and papers.

[wordslinger]

I used Squawker's method when writing my thesis; I basically had a word doc with lots of sub-headings and typed in quotes from my readings. This way I started my project with over thirty pages of notes (that's before I did the field study).

For reading generally, I prefer to annotate the text directly while reading. I use highlighters or pens if I own the book and post-its if it's borrowed. I usually keep a response journal for writing about my readings; this helps me connect readings into my own schema.

I don't think anyone else would understand my lecture notes. I tend to map lectures visually with arrows, adding personal notes and connections.

Interesting thread, by the way.

[natsteel]

Just this past semester, I switched over to Mac and so have been using the program, Notebook. I basically take notes on a piece of blank white paper during the class by hand and then afterwards I type the notes into Notebook. This gives me a chance to review the class notes and also have them in a program that is searchable. I put the full bibliographic information of the reading for the class along with the date at the top of the page.

For research note-taking, I have switched over to Papers and use OSX's Preview to annotate PDFs. This summer I will spend some time going through my stacks of printed PDFs and copying my handwritten annotations onto the PDFs. It may be a tedious process but it will prove to be a good review and I feel like I have to do it now while I still only have about 400 PDFs. Same goes for making sure my Papers library contains ALL information about the articles and authors. I am obsessive about organization and thoroughness and so most of my author entries actually contain all affiliations, pictures, relevant websites, and email addresses. You just never know when you might need something like that. And to have to go back and do that once your library has grown to 1000+ PDFs would be impossible.

I also use Scrivener for individual projects and its index card/corkboard feature. Though I've been toying with the idea of using something like DevonThink (similar to a program mentioned above). Because I will be entering grad school next year, I feel like I need to solidify my digital workflow now.

[poco_puffs]

For papers, I've been using a modified version of Squawker's Method (has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?). When it comes time to write the paper, the text is searchable, I have citations right there, and I can cut and paste the beastly bits. Drawbacks: It's time-consuming, and I find that my research can get a little sloppy and over-generalized when I find a passage in a book and just retype it without really digesting the context of that particular snippet of information.

I perfected this vaguely outlined system of notes for lectures during my undergrad, and I could fit an insane amount of information on 5-10 pages of handwritten notes in 50 minutes. Always black pen on loose-leaf college-ruled notebook paper, organized by subject in a 3-ring binder. Important terminology, names, dates, diagrams always left-aligned, with quick explanations following. Some odd shorthand developed, as well. I think it tended towards the first syllable followed directly by the last letter(s). Ab't, imp't, nat'l, cap'st, soc'st.

Too bad I'm going for my English PhD and the classes will be mostly discussion-based seminars. I find that format of class does not lend itself to my note-taking sensibilities in the slightest. I'll go two hours in a discussion-based class and have less than half a page of notes. That's gonna have to change.

That mind-mapping thing sounds primo, btw.

[pea-jay]

Being the technophile I'm leaning towards using a stylus on an iPad app or that recording pen device that JaeB recommended on the iPad thread. I haven't been in school for 12 years now (aside for work-specific training seminars) so I'm open to learning new tricks as well as remembering old ones.

[Riotbeard]

<br />Too bad I'm going for my English PhD and the classes will be mostly discussion-based seminars. I find that format of class does not lend itself to my note-taking sensibilities in the slightest. I'll go two hours in a discussion-based class and have less than half a page of notes. That's gonna have to change. <br /><br />That mind-mapping thing sounds primo, btw.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

When I was English Major, I would always put a heading on the page for note taking, and end up writing a sentence the whole time... I love an English Discussion class.

As far as reading notes, I tend to write in the book, and if I think something is super important I use a sticky note. I like the tech-savy stuff you guys do though, I may have to start once I get my new Mac!

[mudlark]

I'm a big fan of using etexts for note taking. I work on public domain material, so I tend to read a hard copy, flag key sections with sticky notes, then bring up an etext, search for those sections, and copy and paste them. So much faster than typing out quotes!

As an English student, I don't tend to take detailed notes in class. I'm more likely to write down things that I need to follow up on--terms I'm unfamiliar with, primary and secondary sources that might be useful.

[Squawker]

I hardly ever take notes in class, and my notebooks are a joke. Pretty much the only time I ever take notes in class is when the professor says something important sounding, and everyone starts scribbling it down - I write something down too just so that the prof doesn't think I'm not listening or that I don't think his point is important. Whenever I try to take more notes, I generally end up missing out on the benefits of the discussion. Also, now that I've gotten used to typing everything up, my handwriting is horrible and I'm too lazy to write things out coherently.

One suggestion, though, for taking more notes in class: bring your books with you and write the notes in the book. I write like crazy in all my books and for some reason, having the book there in front of me with enticingly blank margins makes note-taking a lot more natural for me.

[RedPotato]

I am a notetaker for Deaf students in my undergraduate (aka paid to go to class, best job ever) and I had to go through a pretty intense note taker training to get certified. They gave us note taking tests and everything. Here is what I've learned about in-class notes:

Leave a lot of space around everything to jot down additional notes. Start big and work your way small, star and highlight the important things because you will more likely remember what your notes looked like on the page. This is better than bullets because during a test you can think, "oh, what was the info circled in the blue highlighter?" rather than "what was that bullet? There were too many to remember." Additionally, draw diagrams and pictures. Hand written notes are better for remembering information.

My notes look like hieroglyphics, theres arrows and sketches, and everything you can imagine. I know this all sounds so juvenile, and honestly, I was really resistant at first. But, it works.

[poco_puffs]

@ peajay: I admire your willingness to adopt new technology. I'm only 23, and I'm a borderline technophobe in spite of my gadget-happy boyfriend and father. I still haven't ever owned an mp3 player or a phone that does more than call/text. The idea of writing notes on an iPad is just boggles my faculties all to hell.

@mudlark: Writing down terms/ideas to follow-up is probably the best note-taking advice I've received in years. It might be just the change in mindset I need!

[OffFrequency]

Just this past semester, I switched over to Mac and so have been using the program, Notebook. I basically take notes on a piece of blank white paper during the class by hand and then afterwards I type the notes into Notebook. This gives me a chance to review the class notes and also have them in a program that is searchable. I put the full bibliographic information of the reading for the class along with the date at the top of the page.

For research note-taking, I have switched over to Papers and use OSX's Preview to annotate PDFs. This summer I will spend some time going through my stacks of printed PDFs and copying my handwritten annotations onto the PDFs. It may be a tedious process but it will prove to be a good review and I feel like I have to do it now while I still only have about 400 PDFs. Same goes for making sure my Papers library contains ALL information about the articles and authors. I am obsessive about organization and thoroughness and so most of my author entries actually contain all affiliations, pictures, relevant websites, and email addresses. You just never know when you might need something like that. And to have to go back and do that once your library has grown to 1000+ PDFs would be impossible.

I also use Scrivener for individual projects and its index card/corkboard feature. Though I've been toying with the idea of using something like DevonThink (similar to a program mentioned above). Because I will be entering grad school next year, I feel like I need to solidify my digital workflow now.

I can find the notebook program, every search result comes up as notebook-macbook. Who makes the program?

[Jae B.]

I can find the notebook program, every search result comes up as notebook-macbook. Who makes the program?

Maybe they mean the NoteBook I use, by Circus Ponies: http://www.circusponies.com/

[Strangefox]

Here is another great topic! I've been thinking about this note taking thing myself.

Do you people prefer to print out articles you need for coursework or read them in a digital form, typing your notes? I would prefer not to print them out, actually. It costs money and it would mean that at some point I will have stacks of printed articles in boxes. It is so much easier to organize digitalized articles! I am going to read articles on my computer and copy-paste the most important quotes, organizing ideas as bullet points, for example. I would do that rather than print out articles and highlight quotes in them. Is this plan reasonable?

Also, I am interested in learning more about efficient note taking for long-term projects. I am starting my PhD program this fall and I have already an idea for a dissertation project in my mind. So I want to start taking notes related to my project as soon as I start the program. What would your recommendations be about this type of note taking? I guess it should not be much different than note taking for any other purpose, but may be I am missing something here...

[rising_star]

Here is another great topic! I've been thinking about this note taking thing myself.

Do you people prefer to print out articles you need for coursework or read them in a digital form, typing your notes? I would prefer not to print them out, actually. It costs money and it would mean that at some point I will have stacks of printed articles in boxes. It is so much easier to organize digitalized articles! I am going to read articles on my computer and copy-paste the most important quotes, organizing ideas as bullet points, for example. I would do that rather than print out articles and highlight quotes in them. Is this plan reasonable?

Also, I am interested in learning more about efficient note taking for long-term projects. I am starting my PhD program this fall and I have already an idea for a dissertation project in my mind. So I want to start taking notes related to my project as soon as I start the program. What would your recommendations be about this type of note taking? I guess it should not be much different than note taking for any other purpose, but may be I am missing something here...

I don't know about your field but, I sometimes download journal articles that you cannot copy and paste from because they don't have OCR (that is, the text itself is not searchable/scannable). Sometimes, I can run OCR in Adobe Acrobat Pro successfully but other times it is still impossible to cut and paste from the article itself. But, given what Eigen just posted on another thread about EndNote X5, I may look into getting that once I return from the field.

As for notetaking, same as any other purpose. I use a notebook plus EndNote plus Zotero (don't ask) to take notes on things related to my dissertation. It's a pain cross-referencing all of them but, that's mostly because I've used three different systems in my five years of grad school and each has its role in my life. Just be systematic and organized. Make sure you have full citation information (especially if it's a book chapter) so you don't have to go back to the library and dig out the book later for something silly (but necessary) like the page numbers of the chapter.

[spsuninja]

Below is a link to another forum which explains the note taking method that I used for my last two semesters as a mechanical engineering student. Hope it helps

 

http://crowdfundingforum.com/showthread.php/1982-(Indiegogo)-The-Infinity-Binder?referrerid=2582

 

[CarlieE]

I use my iPad and Notability for readings that are in PDF or electronic form. I add notes in the margins or add stickies for longer notes. For books I use colored pencils: reds and purples for the things that are more important and green and blue for things noteworthy but not essential. 

[languages-etc]

HeadCold, do you annotate a lot on Notability, and if so, do you use a stylus? Also, do you use dropbox or something similar for all your files? 

[CarlieE]

HeadCold, do you annotate a lot on Notability, and if so, do you use a stylus? Also, do you use dropbox or something similar for all your files? 

 languages-etc, 

 

I do use a stylus for the highlighting and writing of notes. But for the longer notes (the stickies) I use the keyboard. I do use dropbox and because I'm on a Mac and use Pages (not MS Word) I also use icloud. 

 

So generally, my process is this: I download the PDF of the reading from blackboard (via its ipad app) directly into dropbox (so I have the original), then open it in notability. I read, make my notes (handwritten and typed), highlight etc and then save/export it as a PDF back into drop box (I add "notes" to the file name to differentiate it from the unmarked original). This way I have my notes in both notability AND dropbox, should either app get funky on me. 

 

If I take notes during discussion, I may use notability to record parts of the lecture and type/handwrite notes and then save/export those notes to drop box. 

 

OR more commonly, since I don't use the audio record function as much, I open Pages on my iPad during class discussion and use the keyboard to take silent notes. I think the professors appreciate that I'm not "behind" a laptop screen since the iPad lays almost flat on the desk (I prop it up using my pencil case for an one inch lift) and the keyboard is silent (no tapping of keys as I type since it's just the dull sound of my finger tips). After class I file the Pages doc in icloud OR, if someone would like a copy of it, I export it as a PDF or Word doc to them in email. 

 

During the semester I use dropbox and icloud for "temporary" storage. At the end of each semester I remove it all from those clouds and file them into course named folders in my external HD. I have 5GB in dropbox and icloud each so I never really run out of space.. PLUS I never have to worry about losing my flash drive (though I still keep one in my pencil case so I can get stuff from others in a pinch). 

 

This definitely helps me with what I have to carry around to school and to coffee shops, library etc. I generally just have my iPad on reading days and if needed, my macbook air (super light!) as well, plus one or two books if no electronic version is available. 

[JayJay329]

How do you guys take notes on an entire book that you need to summarize? People tell me to skim, which I can't bring myself to do. Lately I have been trying to summarize each page in a separate notebook and write down important quotes, but this is so time consuming. I can't being myself to quit w/ the excessive summarizing, but know my reading would go by so much more quickly if I just read the damn book and tried to go find quotes and summarize the main arguments later.