Make notes when reading books

Task: Be selective and note down just what you need

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What to do

  • Scribble down questions – then note the answers to these as you read
  • If you use AI to generate such questions, don't rely on those alone, but use them to inspire you in creating your own
  • Identify and sum up the main ideas of the passage: hear them in your own words
  • Jot down a summary or explanation, in your own words, of what you read. Write notes that help you understand and remember – rather than worrying about how well you have expressed the point compared to the original
  • Keep summarising – either the whole book, a chapter, a page or a paragraph – all in just a few words
  • This helps you absorb information and avoid copying out chunks from books to your notes and then into assignments
  • Note exactly where information comes from – the source and the page number or URL
  • Keep a full record of any use you make of AI to support and guide your reading. This should include prompts you used and answers you received, as well as copies of summaries, explanations, definitions, lists of suggestions or questions that AI generated for you
  • Note real names and quotations exactly as they are written
  • If you do note anything directly from the text, use a different colour so you don’t forget that it isn’t your own work
  • Leave space to add details later

What to do

Starting with the final date for submission, work backwards to identify how much time you have to complete the assignment.

Use the template below to write the time for each stage, record these times into your planner. These steps enable you to plan out the seven key stages in the process of producing many written assignments:

  1. Clarifying and planning the task
  2. Researching (collecting and recording information)
  3. Organising and linking material
  4. Reflecting, evaluating and critiquing
  5. Writing an outline and first draft
  6. Writing draft versions
  7. Completing the task / final checks: this includes the final deadline for submission

 

Download: Plan assignments backwards from deadlines

There is no one ‘best method’, but it is worth considering the following points:

  • Do I really need this information? If so, which bits exactly?’
  • Will I really use it? When, and how?
  • Have I noted similar information already?
  • What questions do I want to answer with this information?

Practise by selecting a passage from a book and make notes on its main points. Download the two templates below for help with making concise and critical notes.

Download: Concise critical notes from books
Download: Concise critical notes from articles and papers

Do it:

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See also

Content from the Reading and note-making module

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