Note-taking

Note-taking is the practice of recording information in concise written or digital form for later reference, review, or use. It includes methods for selecting, organizing, and revisiting information.

Connect

Cornell Notes: A note-taking format that divides a page into notes, cues, and a summary. Its page structure separates captured material from prompts used for review.
Lecture Notes: Records of key information and explanations presented during a lecture. Lectures require capturing spoken ideas quickly while identifying what matters.
Transcription: The conversion of spoken language into a written or digital text record. Transcription aims for completeness, while notes usually select and compress information.
Working Memory: The limited-capacity system that temporarily maintains and manipulates information. External notes reduce the need to hold every detail in mind.
Outline Method: A note-taking method that organizes information through indented headings and subordinate points. Hierarchy makes relationships among main ideas and supporting details visible.
Meeting Minutes: A record of a meeting’s decisions, discussion, and assigned actions. Meeting notes preserve commitments and decisions for later follow-through.
Verbatim Record: A record that reproduces spoken or written material word for word. Verbatim capture preserves exact wording rather than prioritizing concise selection.
Long-Term Memory: The relatively enduring storage of knowledge and experiences. Reviewing and connecting notes can support the retention of information.
Mind Mapping: A diagramming method that arranges ideas around a central topic with branching associations. Branching notes preserve associations that linear formats can obscure.
Research Notebook: A dated record of research procedures, observations, analyses, and decisions. Research notes document how evidence and conclusions developed over time.