Effective notes should be accurate, be concise, including only the main points, show overall organisation and development of ideas clearly, be neat, therefore easy to refer to later, and be useful for revision. You can use your own words to make a concise summary of what you have read. Make sure to record the source. Keep your notes organised and store them so that they are easily retrievable.
You should keep records of your reading (who wrote or said what) for accurate referencing and to avoid accusations of plagiarism and also so you can check whether a point you're making is your own or someone else's.
Start your reference list early and add to it as you read, recording your source every time you take notes. Include the page number so you can check again, and use quotation marks when you copy from a text.
This GUIDE has a more detailed understanding of effective note taking.
University of Exeter LibGuide is licensed under CC BY 4.0
