Effective Note-taking
Good notes:
trigger total recall of relevant material;
can be used for all study purposes including:
 revision
 assignment writing
 exam preparation
Lecture Note-taking
Take Notes, Study Notes And Recite
Them!
Features of good notes
Efficient notes display the following features:
 are organized into key points and minor points;
 record relevant source ;
 use visual techniques, e.g. highlighting, graphics;
 use abbreviations and symbols;
 have line spaces so that you can add to your notes
later.
The 5R’s of Note-taking
Record
During the lecture, write all meaningful information
legibly.
The 5R’s of Note-taking
Record
Reduce
After the lecture, write a summary of the ideas
and facts using key words as cue words.
Summarizing as you study helps to:
clarify meanings and relationships of ideas;
reinforce continuity;
strengthen memory retention;
prepare for exams in advance.
The 5R’s of Note-taking
Record
Reduce
Recite
To study properly, you must recite all the information
in your own words without looking at your notes or
the text.
The 5R’s of Note-taking
Record
Reduce
Recite
Reflect
•Think about your own ideas as you read over your notes.
•Raise questions, then try to answer them creatively.
•Record original ideas in your notebook and review them
regularly.
•Use your creative ideas when answering exam questions,
in classroom discussions, and when writing papers.
The 5R’s of Note-taking
Record
Reduce
Recite
Reflect
Review
Before reading or studying new material:
take 10 minutes to review your older notes;
skim over the main ideas and details.
Review enhances more effective retention of old
material when adding new material to your memory
system.
Note-taking Systems
 The Cornell Method;
 The Outline Method;
 The Mapping Method;
 The Charting Method;
 The Sentence Method.
1-Cornell Method
 Use 2 columns, a
review or key word
column on the left,
the note taking or
detail column on the
right (summary
paper);
 Use point form;
 Follow through with
the 5R’s of notetaking.
Cue Column:
 As you are taking
notes, keep cue column
empty;
 Soon after the lecture,
reduce your notes to
concise jottings as clues
for Reciting, Reviewing
and Reflecting.
Note-taking Area:
 Record lectures as
fully and as
meaningfully as
possible.
Summary:
 Sum up each page of
your notes in a
sentence or two.
2- The Outline Method
 Listen and then write
in points in an
organized pattern
based on space
indentation;
Place major
points farthest
to the left;
•
• Indent each
more specific
point to the
right.
Example: Extrasensory perception
definition: means of perceiving
without use of sense organs.
- three kinds:
- telepathy: sending
messages
- clairvoyance:
forecasting
- psychokinesis:
perceiving external
events
- current status:
-no current research to
support or refute
- few psychologists say
impossible
- door open to future
3- The Mapping Method
 make a graphic
representation of the
content of a lecture;
 relate facts and ideas
to each other.
4- The Charting Method
 Set up your paper in advance by columns headed
by categories;
 As you listen, record information into the
appropriate category.
5- The Sentence Method
 Write every thought, fact or topic on a separate
line, numbering as you progress;
 Use abbreviations.
Example :
A revolution is any occurrence that affects other aspects of life, such as
economic life, social life, and so forth. Therefore revolutions cause change.
(See page 29 to 30 in your text about this.)
Sample Notes:
Revolution - occurrence that affects other aspects of
life: e.g., econ., socl., etc. C.f. text, pp. 29-30
Remember
 Don't take down every word!
 Don't write sentences!
Textbook Note-taking
You may take notes in a number of
ways.
1- Marginal Notes
 Write key ideas and their brief explanation
opposite the paragraph in which they
appear;
 Summarize in the bottom margin the
main ideas;
 Use your own personal system of symbols
to mark significant ideas: check marks,
asterisks, highlighting….etc.
2- Binder Notes
 Restate briefly the major theme from
introductory paragraphs;
 Use simple outline form to show logical
important relationships between ideas;
 Review notes immediately after
completing the reading.
3- Underlining
 Underline sparingly—ONLY key terms and
significant ideas in a sentence;
 Reviewing these underlined concepts will
assumingly bring forth the necessary
understanding without reading the paragraph.
Don’t:
 underline too much.
Example
Model example
Look at the following paragraph that has the key and minor points identified.
Now look at how the information has been organised
into key points and minor points:
Using Abbreviations for Note-taking
Abbreviations are useful because they:
 save time;
 connect key points.
Cont’d
Use standard abbreviations and develop
your own.
Shortening commonly used words is also a
way to save time when note-taking, e.g.
 nec - necessary
 imp - important
 b/f - before
 How to abbreviate
 Examples of abbreviations
Sources:
 http://sas.calpoly.edu/asc/ssl.html
 http://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/1_Stu
dySkills/05notetaking.htm
 http://www.ulrc.psu.edu/studyskills/note_taking.
html#5r
 http://www.dvc.edu/English/Learning_Resources/text
book_note_taking.htm