Note-Taking and Summarising

About this topic

Effective note-taking captures key ideas, not every word. Methods: Cornell notes (cues, notes and summary sections), outlines, mind maps and the charting method. Use abbreviations, headings and highlight sparingly; review notes soon afterward. A summary restates the main ideas of a text in your own words, much shorter than the original, without opinions. These skills save time and deepen understanding.

In Cornell notes, you divide the page into a narrow left column for cue questions, a wide right column for notes and a bottom box for a summary. Mind maps place the main topic in the centre and branch outward, suiting visual learners. When taking notes from a lecture, listen for signal phrases such as the key point is, there are three causes and in conclusion.

Worked example: to summarise a 500-word article, first identify the topic and main claim, underline the key support, then write two or three sentences covering those points in your own words, and check that you have kept the original meaning. A good summary of a short text is about a quarter of its length.

Common mistakes include copying sentences word for word, writing down everything, and never looking at the notes again. Review within twenty-four hours and test yourself using the cue column. Summaries should be neutral and should not add your opinion or details not in the text.