Note making

There are several different ways to take notes. Which technique you choose will depend on what you find most effective.

Our note-making techniques tutorial goes into more detail with examples of many different techniques, but here’s three common ones: the linear format, pattern format and the three-column approach.

The linear format

The linear format is the most conventional method. It can encourage a more passive approach, so to make your notes as effective as possible:

• Use headings, underlining and capitals to organise notes on the page
• Use symbols or abbreviations to keep it brief
• Use bullet points or numbering
• Leave good margins so you can add additional notes later
• Use quotation marks to show direct quotes from your lecturers or the source you are using
• Identify your own ideas, e.g. within square brackets or using a different colour.

The pattern format

The pattern format is a visual approach. You organise the key words and concepts across the page, like a mind-map, and can use colours and pictures to help you understand the ideas.

MindView allows you to create digital mind-maps. Available on most desktops at Leeds, it is easy to share and edit with a group. Coggle is an online mind-mapping tool and although the free version has fewer features than MindView, it is convenient and allows for using off-campus.

By using this approach you can make connections and use visual cues, while still clearly recording sources and quotes.

The three-column format

The three-column format organises your page into three areas:

• key information
• your own notes (taken any way you like)
• a summary.

The right section is for your notes, the left section is for key terms, questions and references, and the lower section is where you will summarise the lecture or reading in your own words.

This is a good approach for note taking as it allows you to take notes how you like (visual, linear, mind-maps etc), encourages you to question, review and think critically, and gives you a usable summary.

See how to use the three-column format to make effective notes:

Using AI tools to help you make notes 

Making notes is a key part of information processing and knowledge building.  While there may be specific advantages for some people in using generative AI tools to make notes for them (if for example you are dyslexic), many others will find that the process of making notes, whether on screen or handwritten, has benefits for building knowledge and understanding.  

If you choose to use a generative AI tool to make notes, make sure that you revisit these notes and edit them to reflect your own understanding and interests.  Are there areas that you feel less confident in and would like more information about, for example?  Adding questions or ideas about how something links to another concept/theory/example can also help you to use your notes as a springboard for further thinking. 

There are some issues around AI, copyright and intellectual property. Any inputs you make to generative AI tools may be stored and added to their training data. This means that to avoid compromising anyone’s intellectual property you should not upload any copyrighted material, such as the full text or PDFs of journal articles, to generative AI tools. Summaries of journal articles are almost always part of the article in the form of an abstract, so use this as your starting point. For additional protection, we recommend using Microsoft Copilot, because when you are logged in with your University credentials, your inputs and data are protected and are not stored by the AI for training. Remember, summaries of journal articles are almost always part of the article in the form of an abstract, so always use this as your starting point before generating another summary using AI.

Some AI transcription tools are advertised to students as a way of recording and making notes from classes. The University’s policy on AV recordings states that students should ask for consent from staff and all those present in any session that you would like to record.  Consent for recording will only be given in exceptional circumstances. If you do have consent for recording, this should be used for private study only and is not to be shared with other students. In practice this means that you should not record your lectures with any AI transcription/note-taking tool unless you have been granted clear permission to do so.  

Remember that the University’s guidance on the work you submit is that it should be entirely your own, and any use of generative AI should not replace your own learning, understanding and skills. The Assistance with coursework for taught students website provides details about what acceptable and unacceptable assistance entails. You should also check each assessment brief to understand the rules and expectations around the use of generative AI in the assessment, as unauthorised use of AI is also treated as academic misconduct. Ask your module leader if you are unsure whether, and how, you are allowed to use generative AI for your assessment.