12. Engaging in Reading: Making Notes

Notes help readers to monitor their understanding and help writers and speakers to organize information
and clarify their thinking. T-Charts, KWL charts, Venn Diagrams, webs, trees, and key-word lists are all great ways to organize your notes as you read.

Asking yourself a few questions after reading a section will help you take good notes. Some effective questions are:

  • What part of this section is the most important?
  • What does the author want me to know about this topic?
  • What did I find really interesting about that part?
  • What other questions do I have?

Here are some pointers to note taking:

TIPS WHY
Write down the date of your note-making. • helps you remember context
• if you have written the notes on a loose sheet of
paper, date helps you organize notes later
Give the notes a title, listing the text the notes are
about.		 • helps you quickly identify information you may
be looking for later
Use paper that can be inserted later into a binder,
or have a special notebook for note making, or
use recipe cards.  Use notepad, outlining, or
annotation features of your word processing
software.		 • you need to be able to organize your notes for
easy access for use in studying, or in research
reports
• loose-leaf paper, a single notebook, or small
cards are convenient in library research
Use point form, your own shorthand or symbols,
and organizers such as charts, webs, arrows. Use
the draw and graphic functions of your software.		 • point form and shorthand is faster, easier to
read later, helps you summarize ideas
• organizers help you see links and structures,
organize your ideas
Use headings and subheading in the text as a
guide for organizing your own notes.		 • this part of the organization is already done for
you; provides a structure
Don’t copy text word for word. Choose only the
key words, or put the sentences in your own
words. If you want to use a direct quote, be sure to
use quotation marks. Don’t write down words that
you don’t know unless you intend to figure them
out or look them up. Use software’s copy and
paste function to select key words only.		 • helps you understand what you have read
• short form is much easier for studying and
reading later
• helps avoid plagiarism (using someone else’s
writing or ideas as your own)
Write down any questions you have about the
topic.		 • gives you ideas for further research
• reminds you to ask others, clarify points
• gives you practice in analyzing while reading
Review your notes when you are done. • ensures that they’re legible
• enables you to go back to anything you meant
to look at again
• helps you reflect on and remember what you’ve
read