The most effective note-taking is active not passive. if you are making notes from a website, keep a note of the URL (website address) and the date that you accessed it - you will need these for referencing if you photocopy an article or chapter, make sure you include the page numbers as you will need them for referencing - write them in if they fall off the edge of the photocopy (at least the first page so you can count forward) having a clear system so that you know which of your notes are paraphrases of someone else's ideas direct quotes your own ideas.
Don't wait till you've finished reading - you may forget, or misplace the text. always recording the necessary details for any source you use as soon as you start taking notes. The two key principles are to be meticulous and accurate, and to be active rather than passive.īeing meticulous and accurate about recording sources and direct quotations is an important part of academic discipline, as well as helping to avoid accidental plagiarism. This means:
You have a lot of new knowledge and you need to develop reliable mechanisms for recording and retrieving it when necessary. Effective note-making is an important practice to master at university.