Note making

After you have made your notes, you need to ensure you can do something with them. This will include creating a filing system, using clear labels, and cross-referencing. You can also use technology to help you to organise your notes.

Read your notes and try to create a summary. You can then attach this summary to your notes and handouts.

Your summary may include:

• key facts
• concepts, theories, ideas or arguments
• some illustrative detail
• information about other sources of information or ideas
• questions, thoughts or criticisms.

You should also fill in details from any further reading or research, link new information to what you already know, and discuss with others to fill in any gaps.

If you have written notes from multiple sources for an assignment, review and organise them to help structure your answer.

To organise your notes you should label and file your notes, whether physically or online, and cross-reference with any handouts.

Technology to help you make notes

Many people still like to take notes by hand, but there are now many applications that you can use to help take and organise your notes. Make sure you read the reviews so you can decide what will work best for you before you purchase any apps or software.

Some apps to consider are:

• Evernote: Allows you to create, edit and organise notes, save webpages, photograph handwritten notes and synchronise everything across your devices. Available on all devices.
• UPAD: Available on iPad. Allows you to create visual, eye catching notes as well as highlighting and annotating PDFs.
• Notability: Available on iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. You can import a wide range of documents and annotate them using drawing and text tools.