Taking Notes

1. When taking notes, you should make a compressed and accurate record of information. Record the main issues or arguments, not the details. Keep any extracts as short as possible.

2. Don't write down every word of a lecture, and don't copy out long extracts from books. Make a digest of the originals, and translate the information into your own words.

3. Always make a note of your source(s). Write the following information at the head of your notes:

Author - title - publisher - date - edition

4. Use loose-leaf A4 paper. This is now the standard for most educational materials. Don't use small notepads. You will find it easier to keep track of your notes this way.

5. Write clearly and leave a space between each note. Don't try to cram as much as possible onto one page. Keeping the items separate will make them easier to use and recall.

6. Use some system of numbering. This will help to keep the items separate from each other. It also makes it easier to recall the original.

7. Don't attempt to write continuous prose. Notes should be abbreviated and compressed. Full grammatical sentences are not necessary. Use abbreviations and initials.

8. Don't string the points together continuously, one after the other on the page. You will find it very difficult to untangle these items from each other after some time has passed.

9. Devise a logical and a memorable layout. Use lettering, numbering, and indentation. Good layout will help you to absorb and recall information. Use headings and sub-headings.

10. Use a new page for each set of notes. This will help you to store and identify them later. Keep topics separate, and have them clearly titled and labelled to facilitate easy recall.

11. Write on one side of the page only. Number these pages. Leave the blank sides free for possible future additions, and for any bibliographic details which may be needed later.