Reading and taking notes Qsi Shenzhen Senior Research Class

Reading and taking notes Reading and note taking are key skills you are expected to learn during research class. This presentation will show you how to read efficiently for different purposes and how to write effective notes.

Learning how to learn Every individual learns differently. There is no right or wrong way to study, as long as you are able to learn the material. However, there are reading and note-taking techniques that will give you the edge.

Relaxed reading Relaxed reading is what you do when you: – Look through a magazine – Browse the internet – Read a comic – Read a novel at the beach Relaxed reading does not require memorization or concentration

Relaxed reading Relaxed reading is a good way to enjoy additional or optional readings in your courses. – That is, readings that are NOT to be examined or needed for assessment. If you find something in your additional readings that could be useful, then you can switch your reading style to ‘detailed reading’. The techniques on the next few slides will help you with your detailed reading.

skimming Skimming is used to quickly get an outline of content. Skimming establishes the boundaries of what you need to know and what is most important. Skim a book by reading the table of contents, introductions and conclusions of sections.

skimming Skim a journal article or book chapter by running your eyes over the headings, sub-headings, pictures, graphics, captions and words in italics or bold.

scanning Scanning is useful when reading for a particular phrase or topic. Run your eyes back and forth quickly across the page. Your eyes pick up the words or ideas you are looking for. Scan readings before writing detailed notes.

scanning Scan when: – Looking for particular key words when searching the databases – Finding a particular quote in an article you have already read – Looking in your textbook for the answer to a relevant question

scanning Activity: How many times does the word ‘phonetics’ appear in this paragraph?

scanning Activity: How many times does the word ‘phonetics’ appear in this paragraph?

Detailed reading

SQ3R Notetaking strategy

Taking notes Don’t try to tackle the entire reading at one time and then take notes. You will forget a lot, and absorb little. Work one sub-heading at a time.

Taking notes After reading one section, stop and write down your thoughts and answers to any of the objective/review questions you found. This will help you retain the material and keep your notes organized. Move to the next section and repeat. Always record the source with the content of the ideas.

Taking notes Take breaks. Every hour, take a ten minute break and do something else. Your eyes, body, and brain are not designed to maintain the same position and focus for hours at a time.

Taking notes Outline Cornell Method Mind Maps Note Cards

outline Extremely organized notes. Clearly states the hierarchy and relationship of contents. Easy to identify the main points of information Easy to review.

Cornell method Organized and systematic for recording and reviewing notes. Easy format for pulling out major concept and ideas. Simple and efficient. Saves time and effort.

Mind maps Helps you to visually track your information. Relationships can easily be seen. Easy to edit your notes by adding numbers, marks, and color coding.

Note cards Make a source card for the book/article Read the book/article, making notes as you read (using any of the note-taking styles ideas mentioned before) After you’ve read, go back and make note cards

Note cards Remember… One piece of information per card: Facts or statistics Direct quotes Paraphrasing Do not use complete sentences Record source information on card

Note cards “I read a book, very carefully, writing on the margins with all kinds of notes. A few weeks later I return to the book, and transfer my scribbles on to note cards each card representing an important theme in the book. For instance, in Mastery, the theme of mirror neurons. After going through several dozen books, I might have three hundred cards, and from those cards I see patterns and themes that coalesce into hardcore chapters. I can then thumb through the cards and move them around at will. For many reasons I find this an incredible way to shape a book.” Robert Greene International Best Selling Author

Note cards “The colors represent categories. So, for instance, with the War book, blue cards would be about politics, yellow strictly war, green the arts and entertainment, pink cards on strategy, etc. I could use this in several ways. I could glance at the cards for one chapter and see no blue or green cards and realize a problem. I could also take out all the cards of one color to see which story I liked best, etc. It also makes the shoebox look pretty cool.” Robert Greene International Best Selling Author

Note cards Writing them down by hand forces you to take my time and to go over everything again. Being able to physically arrange cards is crucial for getting the structure of your book or project right. You can move cards from one category to another. As you shuffle through the cards, you can bump into information you had forgotten about.