Taking Notes From Your Reading

Graduate school involves a lot of reading of textbooks, professional journals, research reports, and more. To help you understand what you have read and to synthesize it into a form that you can easily use to study, it is helpful to take notes as you read. Then, when it is time to study, you can review the important information in your notes instead of having to reread the entire chapter or document.

These tips can help you take useful notes from your reading:

• If you are reading a textbook, begin by reviewing the table of contents. This section often lists the major headings in each chapter, giving you a clear idea of what information the chapter will include.

• If you are reading an article in a journal, look for an abstract or summary to give you an idea of what information is included in the article.

• Skim through the material the first time without taking any notes. This first reading will give you an overall idea of information and organization.

• Look for bold and italicized words, which typically indicate important information.

• Use a highlighter or post-it flags to mark additional important information that you may want to review again later.

• Write down questions you have as you read.

• Don't copy the text word-for-word. Paraphrase everything in your own words, which will help you remember the information later.

• Don't skip over information in boxes or in the margins of the text. This is often where you will find definitions and examples that can help you understand your reading.

• When you are done, compare your notes with the text to make sure you have correctly gleaned all the important information.