Takenotes Skill

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FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND LAW

Skill: Communication

Guide: Taking Notes Skills

Version 1 8 May 2006


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Topic 1: The Importance of Note Taking

Topic 2: Effective Note Taking

Conclusion

Contents


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Overview

Communication is about developing the ability to select and

apply skills in ways that are appropriate to their particular

context, audience and situation. Communication is afundamental part of all our lives and the range of methods we

can use to communicate with each other is growing. We can

communicate using everything from a note stuck on the fridge

door to video-conferencing. But no matter which medium we

choose, the underlying structure or communication cycle remains

the same. If we are unsure of what we wish to communicate, or

transmit it badly, we run the risk of not being understood by

other people.

During your time undertaking your university course, there will

be many occasions when you have to make notes. You willgreatly reduce your own problems if you can establish from the

beginning sensible and orderly habits for taking and filing notes.

Taking notes is a skill which is often new to many people who

come to a university course. You are required to listen to the

tutor, look at diagrams, follow handouts, read what is written on

the board and make your own notes. To become successful at

note-taking requires concentration and the determination to

develop your own style and skill.

Notes can summarise information that you read or hear, and helpyou remember the important points. The ability to take clear and

concise notes is one of the most important skills you will need to

develop throughout your studies. Note taking is not just a

practical tool. The actual process of taking notes helps you to

gain a deeper understanding of the subject and capture the

essential points of a topic.

At the start of this guide, a checklist list for graduates in the

Faculty of Business and Law in respect of taking notes is

presented. This section also provides a self-review exercise(s) to

help guide you in understanding your level of skill andexperience in taking notes.

The guide consists of two topics. It specifies the important areas

of knowledge and skills that need to be developed in each of

these topics and references to consult.


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Checklist

A checklist for graduates in the Faculty of Business and Law in

respect of taking notes.

Get organised! It is essential that your notes are as clear aspossible and arranged so that you can find the relevant points

quickly. Make sure you have a file or ring binder, ideally

divided up into subjects or topics.

Be selective! Dont attempt to copy or record things word forword if someone is speaking, you probably wont keep up

and if you are writing out big sections from a book, you mightas well just photocopy it!

Notes are your interpretation and you need to develop yourown method of recording what suits you and your particular

learning style.

Use your own words where possible (unless quoting) as thishelps you to understand the topic better.

Use headings and sub-headings underline and use capitals to

identify important points.

Use colours and highlighters for the same reason and to makeyour notes more visually appealing.

Devise a numbering/lettering system and leave plenty ofwhite space around your notes.

Work out your own shorthand system or way of abbreviatingwords.

Use drawings, charts, lists, spider diagrams, space maps etc.

Visual images are more easily absorbed than chunks ofwritten text.

When taking notes from a book, make sure you reference thesource.

Review your notes regularly write them up more fully, ifthat is the way you like to work.


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Self-review

Please answer the questions in this self-assessment.

Read each question and tick the value which you feel is most

appropriate to you. Each answer has a point value:

disagree strongly 1

tend to disagree 2

tend to agree 3

strongly agree 4

Add up your scores. The final tally will give you an idea of how

confident you feel about your skills in Taking Notes.

1 2 3 4

1

My notes are as clear as possible and arrangedso that you can find the relevant points

quickly.

2I am selective and do not attempt to copy or

record things word for word.

3

I have developed my own method of

recording what suits me and my particular

learning style.

4

I have worked out my own shorthand system

or way of abbreviating words.

5When taking notes from a book, I make sure I

reference the source.

6I review my notes regularly.

TOTAL


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Objectives

At the completion of this topic you should be able to:

Identify the main reasons for taking notes.

Recall and explain the three most common used types ofnotes

Identify alternative means of storing notes.

The advantages of clear taking notes

There are many advantages of having clear, well organised

notes:

They give you an overview of the relevant material, talk,discussion

They help you to learn key words or concepts more easily

They help you to make links between topics

They aid in your concentration and understanding

They allow you to sum up arguments, information andideas

They are a memory aid for revision

They are a reminder of the main points of a lecture,tutorial, journal article

They are an important source of material for an essay orseminar presentation.

They prompt questions and debate.

Topic 1

The Importance of Taking Notes


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Types of notes

The three most commonly used types of notes are:

Summary notes

These are a mini-version of the material itself. Written in proper

sentences, they have the appearance of a hand-written narrative.

Most students tend to adopt this style when making notes and, if

not careful, end up re-writing whole chapters!

Skeleton notes

Many people make these rough, brief notes when trying to take

down their tutor's words in class. They use abbreviations,

numbering, underlining, indentation of phrases and other suchdevices to speed up their notation and make the notes easier to

re-read. These students are therefore beginning to select what is

essential and to ignore what is mere flesh on the bones of an

argument. They are also aware that the layout of the notes is

important.

Diagrammatic notes

These are variously described as spray diagrams, concept tree

systems, patterned notes and mind maps. These are the kinds of

notes which force you to engage with your material, to thinkabout it and to put into your own words the most important ideas

which the writer/speaker is trying to convey.

The secret of the success of diagrammatic note-making is that it

forces you to see not only the whole `picture', the full sense of an

argument, but all its component parts and the connections

between one part and another. This is because you literally start

with a central idea and build out, in a diagrammatic, organic

way, the major ideas and supporting evidence which grow out of

this. You end up with a `map' of a number of

ideas/facts/principles all contained on one sheet of paper.

The relationship between any idea and the central idea and other

ideas is clear.

Source: University of Nottingham, School of Education

[Accessed 9 February 2005]


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Storing your notes

When you have taken your notes you should file and store them

so that you will have easy access to them when they are needed.

The way you do this will depend upon the format that you have

chosen, but remember the basic techniques of dividing up largetopics into smaller ones. Dont simply divide your notes into

modules, but break them down further.

Any system of organising your notes has to be able to do a

number of things:

It has to allow you to know where the information camefrom in the first place; either a direct reference to the

source on the notes, or a reference to a key.

It has to allow you to store the information in a waywhich will be useful to you.

It has to allow you to add notes easily to the system - ifadding notes is too laborious, you will not only waste

time doing it, but will be tempted not to do it at all!

Above all, any system of keeping notes must allow youto find the information you want in the first place!

You could organise your hard copy notes in a number of ways.

Here are a few examples:

set up a card index system

use a colour-coded system with different colours for eachtopic

use a numerical or alphabetical code assigning differentnumbers to different projects.

You might find that you start with one system, and move to

another as you go along, or use different systems for different

kinds of information. It doesn't really matter, as long as you canfind and retrieve what you need, when you need it!


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Objectives

At the completion of this topic you should be able to:

Identify strategies for taking notes from referencematerial.

Identify some hints for taking notes in lectures.

Recall some abbreviations for common words/phrases.

Strategies for effective note taking f rom

reference material

Note-making can be a very personal thing and there is no one

right way of doing it. Here are some useful suggestions for

effective note-taking from reference material. (See below for

note taking from lectures).

Always note the location of the source and the sectionsyou have noted.

Use an active reading technique before you start takingnotes.

Dont start to take notes until your second reading ofmaterial.

Make notes of only the main points. Dont take too manynotesbe selective by identifying the main points and

the supporting details. To do this you will need to

mentally separate out any examples or digressions from

the main points. Put most notes in your own words,

except for formulas and definitions and if you miss a

point, write down the key words, leave a few lines and

get the information from another student after the lecture

Develop the ability to prcis (students invariably take toomany notes).

Look up any words or phrases you are unsure about, orask someone to explain them.

Topic 2

Effective Note Taking


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Unless you are using quotes or images, write the notes inyour own words wherever possible (see the note on

plagiarism opposite).

Employ a system of abbreviations that you understand.

Use abbreviations (short forms of words) so you canwrite more information in less time. Try to be consistent

with abbreviations so you can understand them later!

Use a system for recording notes that you feelcomfortable with.

Possible methods include:

- annotating and highlighting the actual text use a

coloured or highlighter pen to mark relevant

sections on photocopied articles or internetprintouts (but never on library books).

- schematic layout where notes are broken down

using titles, headings and sub-headings, which are

progressively indented and numbered or lettered.

- leaving a margin so that you can add additional

notes and references later.

- mind maps also called spider or spray

diagrams. These are more visual notes where thetopic is written in the centre of the page, and other

words and phrases are written elsewhere on the

page with lines showing links between ideas.

Notes like these are easy to add to and can help

encourage creative thinking.

allow a wide margin, and space between sections formarking significant items, connecting points and writing

in comments later

write on one side of the paper only and use the other sidefor later additions to your notes, such as summaries, text

references, questions; information from textbooks,

tutorials and practicals.


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Taking notes in lectures

Listen actively - if possible think before you write - butdon't get behind.

Be open minded about points you disagree on. Don't letarguing interfere with your note-taking.

Raise questions if appropriate.

Develop and use a standard method of note-taking

including punctuation, abbreviations, margins, etc.

Take and keep notes in a large notebook. The only meritto a small notebook is ease of carrying and that is not

your main objective. A large notebook allows you to

adequately indent and use an outline form.

Leave a few spaces blank as you move from one point tothe next so that you can fill in additional points later if

necessary. Your objective is to take helpful notes, not to

save paper.

Do not try to take down everything that the lecturer says.It is impossible in the first place and unnecessary in the

second place because not everything is of equal

importance. Spend more time listening and attempt to

take down the main points. If you are writing as fast as

you can, you cannot be as discriminating a listener. There

may be some times, however, when it is more important

to write than to think.

Listen for cues as to important points, transition form onepoint to the next, repetition of points for emphasis,changes in voice inflections, enumeration of a series of

points, etc.

Many lecturers attempt to present a few major points andseveral minor points in a lecture. The rest is explanatory

material and samples. Try to see the main points and do

not get lost in a barrage of minor points which do not

seem related to each other. The relationship is there if

you will listen for it. Be alert to cues about what the

professor thinks is important.


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Make your original notes legible enough for your ownreading, but use abbreviations of your own invention

when possible. The effort required to recopy notes can be

better spent in rereading them and thinking about them.

Although neatness is a virtue in some respect, it does not

necessarily increase your learning.

Copy down everything on the board, regardless. Did youever stop to think that every blackboard scribble may be a

clue to an exam item? You may not be able to integrate

what is on the board into your lecture notes, but if you

copy it, it may serve as a useful clue for you later. If not,

what the heck -- you haven't wasted anything. You were

in the classroom anyway.

Sit as close to the front of the class, there are fewer

distractions and it is easier to hear, see and attend toimportant material.

Get assignments and suggestions precisely - askquestions if you're not sure.

Source: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University


Some Common Abbreviations

There are some more common abbreviations that will be useful

to use when taking notes.

Word/phrase Abbreviation

Including Incl.

Increase

Decrease

less than

compared with cf

with w

with respect to wrt

change U

Because b/c

Try to create your own abbreviations for words you tend to use

frequently.


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Note taking is an important and useful skill during your

university course. It is used in a number of ways, attendinglectures and in summarising information from reference material.

References

Cornell University Note taking system

http://people.ucsc.edu/~mwax/resume/write/rubric/cornellnotesy

s/


Department for Employment and Skills. Summarising

information


University of Hawaii. Taking Notes


University of Nottingham, School of Education


University of South Australia. Making the Most of Lectures


University of South Australia. Note Making from Reading


Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University


York University. Making lecture notes at university


Conclusion


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York University. Note taking at university

{Accessed 8 February 2005]

Learning resources

Library

You should check the library for references on writing skills.

The following is an example of a publication that has been

identified through this search approach.

Carter, C., Bishop, J., and Kravits, S. L. 2005. Keys toeffective learning: developing powerful habits of mind, Upper

Saddle River, NJ : Pearson/Prentice Hall, (378.170281

Car/Kte)

See also Workshops run by the Library:

http://www.deakin.edu.au/library/services/students/library-skills-ug.php

External

FreeMind downloadable software. FreeMind is a freemind-mapping software written in Java.


Author details

Rob ConnoleyLecturer in Teaching & Learning/Educational DeveloperFaculty of Business & LawDeakin University

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