Here are three templates that provide strategies for taking notes in different settings.
Class notes
Think about why you’re taking notes on the lecture or class discussion? What do you hope to get from your notes? What are the learning objectives of the course? How can you use your notes to help achieve those learning objectives?
General pointers
- Focus on the main points, rather than copying down the entire presentation or every word the professor says.
- Remember, if you want, you can always fill in gaps or define terms or concepts you didn’t catch in class.
- Write down your questions, thoughts, and content that you find confusing. You can follow-up on those notes after class.
- Jot down keywords, dates, names, etc. that you can go back and define or explain later
Tips for recognizing the most important points in the lecture
- Intro remarks often include summaries of the central point.
- Listen for signal words, for example,
- “There are four main…”
- “To sum up…”
- “A major reason why…”
- Repeated words or concepts are often significant.
- Final remarks often provide a summary of the essential points of the lecture.
Primary source notes
Citation
Last-Name, First-Name, “Short-title: sub-title,” Organization (where applicable), Date, page numbers, or URL (if available)
Summary
One sentence summary of the source in your own words.
Type of source
I.e. legal document – court case / newspaper article / opinion piece / photograph etc.
Creator
Who created or wrote the source (an individual or a group), and if applicable, what was their relationship to an organization, etc.
Context
When was the source created, and what else was happening at that time?
Purpose
Why did the author write the primary source?
Audience
Who was the author or creator attempting to reach (was it for themselves? Or was it for a specific person? A specific group?)
Argument
What was the central argument and how did they support that argument?
Quotations
Quote or paraphrase parts of the text that stood out
Inconsistencies/ambiguities:
After reading the source, what part of the topic remains ambiguous? What questions do you have about the source?
Monograph (book) notes
This template can be adapted for most secondary sources
Citation
First-name Last-name, Short-title: sub-title (Place: Publisher, Date).
Shortened note: Last-name, Short-title, page-number
Author(s)
Geneology of the author (who was their advisor/where did they go to grad school/where are they now etc.); other publications
Subject(s)
Key words, type of history
Summary
2-3 sentence in your own words. If the author has an explicit statement of the argument you can quote it also, but that’s not a substitute for paraphrasing their argument yourself.
Significance & assessment of contribution
What was the author trying to do when they wrote the book? Did they accomplish that task?
Helpful reviews
Links to the reviews that you can use for future reference. You can also write a sentence about the general reception of the monograph.
Project/driving question/motivation
Why did the author(s) write the book/article?
Argument(s)
In your own words, can also quote an explicit statement of argument w/ page numbers; sub-arguments for chapters can also go here.
Related scholarship
How does it fit in with other books you have read / what books is it in conversation?
Structure
I.e. chronological/thematic etc.; chapter or part summary
Sources & Methodology
What archives did they use? What kinds of published sources? Did they use theory?
Key words/themes/actors
Generally where quotes can go and relevant page numbers. Include key dates and chronology.
Other resources on note-taking:
Class notes
“Notetaking,” Academic Skills Center, Dartmouth College
“Effective Note-Taking in Class,” The Learning Center, UNC-Chapel Hill
“How to take study notes: 5 effective note taking methods,” Oxford Learning, May 3, 2017.
“Note taking and in-class skills,” Cook Counseling Center, Virginia Tech.
Reading notes (general)
“Taking notes while reading,” The Learning Center, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“Taking Notes from Your Reading,” Academic Skills, UNSW Sydney. – includes PDF of notes template
Savitri Maya Kunze 