The document provides guidance on effective note-taking techniques for academic purposes. It discusses four main purposes for note-taking: to provide a written record for review, force the listener to pay attention, require organization which involves active effort, and require condensing and rephrasing which aid understanding. It also offers suggestions for good note-taking such as labeling notes, using separate notebooks, writing legibly, and developing abbreviations.

1. Note-Taking

2. Why Take Notes
 Note-taking serves two main academic
purposes:
 It provides a method to identify/predict what will
be on tests and puts that information in a format
that can be easily studied.
 It provides a method for pulling together the
important information a student can use in writing
a research paper or preparing a speech.

3. Four Purposes for Notetaking
 Provides written record for review
 Forces listener to pay attention
 Requires organization which involves active
effort from listener
 Requires condensing and rephrasing which
aid understanding

4. Good Note-taking Suggestions
 Label notes at top of page
 Use separate notebooks for each class
 Make notes legible
 Use only one side of paper
 Identify specialized vocabulary
 Develop your own set of symbols
 Leave blanks and/or lots of white space for filling in
information missed
 Use telegraphic, not complete sentences (Provide the
maximum amount of information in the minimum
number of words)
 Develop a relatively simple note-taking system you
will actually use

5. Characteristics of Any Good
Study Notes
 They are short.
 They use only one side of the paper.
 They may be informal outlines.
 They should be in your own words.
 They should be developed using your own
style and your own system.
 They should be written in ink.
 They should show the different levels of
ideas.

6. When to take notes in a
lecture
 When the instructor says “This is
important”
 Anything written on the board
 Anything put on the overhead
 At non-verbal cues the instructor gives

7. Note-Taking Methods
 The outlining method.
 The Cornell method modified to T-Notes.
 The mapping method.
 The charting method.
 Outlines and T-Notes are probably the most
versatile and can be used in almost any
situation.

8. The Modified Outline
 Modifies the formal outline method by using
dashes or indentions instead of numbers,
letters, or Roman numerals.
 Begins with the most general information on
the left (main idea) and indents to show
related major and minor details.
 Main Idea
 Major Detail
 Minor Detail

9. Modified Outline Example
 Extrasensory perception
 definition: means of perceiving without use of
sense organs.
 three kinds –
 telepathy: sending messages
 clairvoyance: forecasting the future
 psychokinesis: perceiving events external to situation
 current status -
 no current research to support or refute
few psychologists say impossible
door open to future

10. T-Notes
 Can be used in any note-taking
situation.
 Draw a T on your paper with a 2.5 inch
margin on the left, leaving a 6-inch
area on the right.
 Put the main idea in the left margin
area and related details on the right.

11. T-Note Example
Label Date
Characteristics 1. Uses as few words as
of any good possible.
Note-taking 2. Focuses on main ideas,
system major details, terms.
3. Are written in own words.
4. Are written on only one side
of paper.
5. Provides lots of white space
(skip lines between ideas.)

12. T-Note Example 2
Label Date
Extrasensory Definition: means of perceiving without
Perception use of sense organs
Three kinds:
Telepathy: sending messages
Clairvoyance: forecasting the future
Psychokinesis: perceiving events external
to situation
Current Status:
No current research to support or refute
Door open to future

13. Mapping Method of Note-
Taking
 Provides a visual over-view of important
information.
 Shows relationships among ideas.
 Is easy to edit.
 Appeals to visual learning styles.
 Is not recommended for lecture notes,
but is helpful as text study notes.

14. Guidelines for Making Maps
 Begin with what you consider the most
important idea as the “center” or “top” of the
map. Branch out from it to related ideas.
 Write your ideas on lines that are connected
to other lines in order to express clearly the
relationship between various ideas.
 Print ideas in ink and in capital letters so they
can be easily read.

15. Types of Perceptions

16. The Charting Method of Note-
Taking
 Useful for certain types of text notes.
 Can help focus on facts and
relationships in preparing for tests.
 Helps give an overview of information.

17. Chart Format Example
from History Class