UNI VE R S I T Y OF S OUT H AUS T R AL I A

L e a r n i n g G u i d e s
Notemaking from reading
Why make notes? How to make notes
What to note What to do when you dont undestand
Not!n" #o a s$e%!#!% $u$ose
Why make notes?
&u!n" you t!me as a student' you w!(( ead a w!de assotment o# te)ts #o many d!##eent
$u$oses* These te)ts may !n%(ude +ooks' ,ouna( at!%(es' e$ots' manua(s' !n#omat!on
+ook(ets and mate!a( #om the Intenet* Fo mu%h o# you ead!n" you w!(( #!nd !t use#u( to
make notes as a $emanent e%od o# what you ha-e ead.you %an e-!s!t you notes #o
ass!"nments o e-!s!on #o an e)am*
It !s !m$otant' +e#oe you +e"!n to make you notes' that you ae ea((y %(ea a+out why you
ae mak!n" them and what you w!(( use them #o* What do you want to "et #om you notes?
How mu%h' and ,ust what' you note w!(( +e -ey mu%h detem!ned +y you $u$ose*
Some $u$oses #o not!n" !n%(ude/
"ett!n" the ma!n $o!nt the autho !s mak!n"
#om!n" an o-e-!ew o# the ma!n !deas and how they ae o"an!sed and su$$oted
#!nd!n" a s$e%!#!% $!e%e o# !n#omat!on o the answe to a $at!%u(a 0uest!on
"a!n!n" +a%k"ound !n#omat!on on a %eta!n to$!%
"athe!n" !n#omat!on #o someth!n" you need to $odu%e/ a $esentat!on' essay' e$ot
study!n" #o an e)am
ty!n" to +ette undestand some %on%e$t that you ae stu""(!n" w!th o need to know
moe a+out*
A(( these d!##eent $u$oses w!(( e0u!e d!##eent #oms o# notemak!n"' so +e %(ea ,ust what
you $u$ose !s +e#oe you +e"!n not!n"*
What to note
Bibliographic details
It !s !m$otant to "et !nto the ha+!t o# e%od!n" the +!+(!o"a$h!% deta!(s o# the te)t o othe
esou%e you ae %onsu(t!n"* Th!s !n%(udes !n#omat!on (!ke autho1s23 date o# $u+(!%at!on3 t!t(e
1o# +ook' at!%(e' ,ouna(23 $u+(!she' -o(ume' num+e and $a"es o# ,ouna( at!%(e' URL o#
on(!ne esou%e' and med!um 1e"* aud!o' -!deo' 4&5RO62*
You may want to use what you ae not!n" as a e#een%e #o an ass!"nment* Ha-!n" the
+!+(!o"a$h!% deta!(s sa-es +a%kta%k!n" to !dent!#y sou%es*
Noti ng for a speci fi c purpose
E)a%t(y what you make note o# w!(( +e detem!ned +y you $u$ose* I# you ae seek!n" a
$at!%u(a $!e%e o# !n#omat!on o the answe to a s$e%!#!% 0uest!on' then that !s a(( you need to
e%od*
Developed by Learning Advisers, Learning Connection University of South Australia, 789:79:; $a"e :
Summarising
I# you $u$ose !s summa!s!n" the at!%(e' %ha$te o whate-e' stu%tue you notes !n
a%%odan%e w!th the stu%tue o# what you ae ead!n"* Use the same head!n"s and su+5
head!n"s as the te)t and then e%od as mu%h deta!( as you need #o you $u$ose*
Ask youse(# #!st <What !s the ma!n $o!nt the autho !s ty!n" to make?* Then' #o ea%h o# the
head!n"s' e!the tun the head!n" !nto a 0uest!on and note the answe to that 0uest!on or
%ons!de #o ea%h head!n" and su+5head!n" <What !s the autho say!n" a+out th!s $o!nt?*
I# you need to !n%(ude moe deta!(' %ons!de #o ea%h $aa"a$h <What $o!nt !s +e!n" made !n
th!s $aa"a$h?* F!na((y' !# you e0u!e moe st!((' ask youse(# <What #uthe !n#omat!on has
the autho $o-!ded !n e(at!on to th!s $o!nt? What e-!den%e? What e)$(anat!on? What
e)am$(es?*
Notemaking for your writing or speaking
I# you $u$ose !s to "athe notes to !n#om you own w!t!n" o s$eak!n"' !t !s $o+a+(y +ette
to stu%tue you notes !n a%%odan%e w!th the stu%tue o# what you ae "o!n" to $odu%e*
Look at the $(an o# you essay o $esentat!on* What !n#omat!on do you need' what 0uest!ons
do you need to #!nd the answes to !n ode to %om$(ete the ass!"nment? =e ea((y %(ea on
e)a%t(y what you need to #!nd out and (o%ate and e%od that and no moe* You may #!nd !t
he($#u( to make notes #o ea%h se%t!on on a se$aate $!e%e o# $a$e' a$$o$!ate(y headed*
6any students s$end a "eat dea( o# t!me e%od!n" %o$!ous notes that they end u$ not us!n"*
=e -ey #o%used !n you notemak!n"' kee$!n" you $u$ose !n m!nd and !"no!n" !e(e-ant
mate!a(* Re%od the #u(( +!+(!o"a$h!% !n#omat!on somewhee' +ut as we((' e%od the autho'
date and $a"e w!th ea%h se%t!on you note*
Notemaking for general information or exam preparation
=e %(ea what !t !s that you want to #!nd out and note as mu%h as you need to !n ode to ha-e
a "ood undestand!n" o# the $at!%u(a %on%e$t you ae esea%h!n"* Look at you deta!(ed
%ouse out(!ne' (e%tue notes and $ast e)am 0uest!ons to "u!de you %ho!%es a+out the amount
and de$th o# deta!(*
ow to make notes
!istinguishing between "uotes and other notes
Somet!mes you w!(( want to 0uote the e)a%t wods that someone used* Th!s may +e +e%ause !t
!s a $at!%u(a(y s!"n!#!%ant statement o +e%ause you th!nk the messa"e may +e %han"ed o
weakened thou"h $aa$has!n"* Othe t!mes you may de%!de to e%od the !deas' not the
e)a%t wods* 6ake sue that you d!st!n"u!sh +etween d!e%t 0uotes and !deas' summa!es o
out(!nes that you %onstu%t* One way o# do!n" th!s !s to a(ways $ut 0uotat!on maks aound
se%t!ons that you %o$y d!e%t(y #om the te)t* Re%od!n" the autho' date and $a"e num+e a!ds
(ate e#een%!n"*
#orms of notes
Use whate-e systems ae most mean!n"#u( and use#u( to you* You may %onstu%t you own
summay o# the +ook o at!%(e you ae not!n" #om us!n" head!n"s and su+5head!n"s #om the
te)t* A(tenat!-e(y you may %hoose to stu%tue you notes as a ta+(e' %hat' $!%to!a( d!a"am'
as a +an%h!n" tee' a sta' +o)es o s$okes* You may %hoose to use %o(ou' sym+o(s' aows*
You may #!nd d!##eent stu%tues o# notes su!t d!##eent stu%tues o# !deas*
4ons!de how +est you m!"ht e$esent 0uest!ons and answes' %auses and e##e%ts' se0uen%es
o# ste$s o e-ents' ma!n $o!nts and deta!(s' a"uments #om d!##eent $es$e%t!-es* You may
(!ke to e)$e!ment w!th d!##eent ways o# %onstu%t!n" notes #o d!##eent $u$oses*
You may %hoose not to %onstu%t a se$aate set o# notes at a((' +ut to mak o w!te on you
own %o$y o# the +ook o at!%(e !tse(#* Instead o# w!t!n" out' you may %hoose to h!"h(!"ht the
key $o!nts* You may note s!"n!#!%ant wods' o summa!se !deas o w!te 0uest!ons o you
es$onses to what you ae ead!n" !n the ma"!n*
Developed by staff of the Flexible Learning Centre University of South Australia, Fe+uay >777 $a"e >
What to do when you don$ t understand
Th!s de$ends on how s!"n!#!%ant the !n#omat!on !s that you ae ty!n" to undestand* &o not
+e too d!s%oua"ed !# you #!nd ead!n"s d!##!%u(t ea(y !n the %ouse3 you know(ed"e and
undestand!n" w!(( "ow as you $o%eed and the %on%e$ts and -o%a+u(ay w!(( +e%ome moe
#am!(!a* It !s had(y e-e ne%essay to undestand e-ey wod !n anyth!n" you ae ead!n"*
What to do a+out !t !s detem!ned +y you $u$ose !n ead!n"* It m!"ht he($ to ty the
#o((ow!n" state"!es/
e-en thou"h you dont undestand e-ey wod' see !# you %an "et the ma!n $o!nt1s2 the
autho !s mak!n"
#o%us on key se%t!ons.!ntodu%t!on' %on%(us!on' to$!% senten%es
!# you ae un#am!(!a w!th s$e%!a(!sed wods to do w!th the to$!%' make a (!st o#
#e0uent(y5o%%u!n" wods and ty to #!nd the! mean!n" e(sewhee 1e" !n a su+,e%t
d!%t!onay2
!# the $o+(em wods ae not s$e%!a(!st wods +ut ,ust un#am!(!a (an"ua"e' su+st!tute
wods that wou(d make sense
%om$!(e a (!st o# 0uest!ons to #!nd the answes to e(sewhee/ othe students' (e%tues3 a
s!m$(e te)t on the same to$!%
About this
series
This is one of a series of guides on learning at University prepared by staff fro
Learning Connection and available at
http!""###$unisanet$unisa$edu$au"learningconnection"learnres"learng"index$ht
Further
inforation
Tal% to your course coordinator or assigned tutor$
&isit Learning Connection on your capus or contact the 'xternal Students( Centre
&isit the University(s #ebsite at ###$unisa$edu$au
Developed by staff of the Flexible Learning Centre University of South Australia, Fe+uay >777 $a"e ?