How to Take Effective Notes

Why Annotate?

Annotating a text means that you you write about and/or mark it up while you are reading. While this might make your reading go a bit more slowly, it offers substantial time-saving and learning benefits.

• Saves you from re-reading as often
• Improves your comprehension
• Helps consolidate the content in your memory

Annotating texts ensures that your are engaged in active reading.

How do I get started?

When you are preparing to read, don't just dive in!

• Preview the text - scan the text to get a mental map of the text
  • Scan for titles, heading, subheadings
  • Skim the first and last paragraphs
  • Read the abstract.
• Ask yourself some questions!
  • What information do you need?
  • Why are you reading this? Your purpose helps determine how to need to read?
  • What do you already know (or think you know) about the topic?

Once you've spent a few minutes doing this, make sure you have any supplies you need (pens, highlighters, digital devices if you are doing this digitally).

What do I do while I'm reading?

Stay active during your reading by:

• noting key concepts, terms, and examples
• writing in the margins (marginalia), paraphrasing, comments, and questions
• noting where you get confused
• making connections to related topics

Develop a system for using highlighting, underlining, [bracketing], and using symbols in the text.

This LibGuide is adapted from the terrific materials on the Excelsior University Online Reading Lab. This site is licensed by a Creative Commons Attribution-4.0 International License.