The storing capacities of human memory are limited. It is useful, therefore, to know how to efficiently make notes of what one wants to remember. In this chapter we distinguish note-making from note-taking. That seems useful even though the two terms are often used interchangeably. We speak of note-taking with regard to more or less verbatim notes from a book or lecture. We speak of note-making with regard to notes that represent, in our own words, a summary representation or comment on what we read, heard, or thought about something.
Formal aspects
An extract is a literal copy of a passage from a given text. It is useful for later verbatim quotations. It is essential, therefore, to note for each extract the exact bibliographical data (title, author, reference page number, etc.). It will rue you if you do not do this because it will cost you a lot of time to later find the correct data for a quotation of your source! Make it a habit, therefore, to always add such data to your extracts.
An abstract is a compressed but accurate record (summary) of a longer text passage. It is quite common for articles in journals, for example, to start with an abstract. Depending on the purpose of his reading, however, a reader may want to create his own abstracts because he is interested in a specific part or aspect of a publication only. Abstracts, like extracts, should always contain clear references to their source.
Another way of making notes is to selectively underline or highlight interesting paragraphs, phrases or keywords in a book or article. You may also want to write some comment on the margin. This presupposes, however, that you own the book or article (or have a photocopy of it). Never underline or scribble words in a book that you have on loan from a library! It is most annoying for other readers, and it is an offence!
Notes are frequently made under time pressure (in lectures, for example). It is useful, therefore, to develop a consistent set of abbreviations.
Aims and contents of notes
The form and contents of notes vary according their purpose. Before making notes good readers ask themselves: Why do I read this? What do I know about the topic already? What do I want to find out? How does that which I know or am looking for relate to the content of the text? Depending on the aim and perspective under which we view a text the number and content of notes we make will change. It may be useful, therefore, to repeat two statements from the preceding chapter:
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The purpose of a writer is one thing – the purpose of the reader is another.
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and
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Other questions, other answers!
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This does not mean that it is impossible to view a topic or object from the perspective taken by the author. On the contrary, understanding means viewing things from the perspective of another person, and that is essential for enlarging and improving ones own knowledge. But even the authors point of view - if we can capture it - does not represent an 'objective or true meaning'.
The purpose of note making is that notes should help you take stock of and refine ideas on a given task and topic. They should not only help you remember what you read, they also help to critically review things from a distance. To serve that purpose they must be a compressed but accurate record (summary) of their source, and they must be selective. Focus on the main issues, therefore, not every detail, unless you have good reason to note down a specific detail. During a lecture, watch for cues from the instructor as to what information is most relevant. Notice how s/he has organized the material. Make notes, too, of sources and supporting or conflicting evidence quoted.
There is little use in notes if you do not use them for revision. And to be useful at the stage of revision they should contain the title of their source and a brief description of its main parts (chapters). They should pick out keywords or key phrases which represent the line of argument (logical structure) and conclusion. To this you may add your own critical comments, annotations or questions which seem worth remembering when later reviewing the notes. It is important, though, to always keep your comments separate from arguments presented by the book or article. This can be achieved, for example, by dividing your notes in two columns: One for extracts and abstracts, and one for comments or other annotations.
When reviewing your notes, you may want to reorganize them following new organizing categories that seem better suited to your purpose. This can be achieved more easily if you use loose-leaf A4 paper which you can restack. The layout of your lecture notes could look like this, for example:
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Free margin for later adding your own comments
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The main part of the page should be reserved for notes you make during a lecture or when reading a book. Your notes should always contain
information on their source: Write legibly! Use one side of the paper only. Write by phrases rather than whole sentences. Use a consistent set of abbreviations. Do not quote at length because in a lecture you will lose the next points. If there are gaps in your
lecture notes, trade notes with classmates, or fill them in right after
the class while your memory is fresh. Consult handbooks / encyclopaedias to find an answer to open questions when
reviewing your notes.
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