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How to Organize Research Notes
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Organize Your Research
Use your bedroom floor to make piles of all the papers, dividing them into different segments or chapters.
Some of them will overlap into multiple segments and that can also be taken care of. After the segmentation, kindly assign a number to each paper.
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Code And Sort
Create a topic of your research assignment along with the subtopics labeled as A, B, C, D etc. Each topic can now be a different pile, separated with the help of sticky notes.
Now sort all your papers according to the piles, and when they are complete, start to label each piece of research with a letter and a number. So Your papers would be labeled like A1, A2, B1, B3 and so on.
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Piles of Notes
Place your piles into separate folders labeled like the subtopics, stapling the sticky notes on the outside of it’s matching folder.
Now you can start writing your paper as you have chronological, topic-wise segregation of all your notes. While writing the paper, do check if the notes are appropriate or can also fit somewhere else. Notes can later be replaced by citations.
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SIMILAR ARTICLES & IDEAS:
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The Cornell Method
Divide your paper into three sections: a 2.5” margin to the left, a 2” summary section on the bottom, and a main 6” section.
- The main 6" section is used for note-taking during class.
The Mapping Method
The page is organized by topic. While in class, start with the main topic. Branch off and write a heading for each of the subtopics. Add important notes underneath each subtopic.
This method is useful for visual learners. It helps you understand the relationships between topics.
The Outlining Method
Use headings and bullet points with supporting facts.
- During a lesson, begin your notes with a bullet point for the main topic.
- The first subtopic is placed below and indented slightly to the right.
- Jot down the details below your heading and slightly to the right.
This method is useful when a topic includes a lot of detail.
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1. Rewrite It
Spend 5 minutes each morning preparing your task list to have only accomplishable tasks that fit the time you have available. Keep other tasks on a holding list for another day.
2. Be Laser Focused
Set a timer for 15 minutes, shut out the world and concentrate with intense focus on one and only one task. Closing your door and turning off your phone and internet are specially important.
3. Let Go Of Tasks
Recognize that not everything in your list must be done. When in doubt, delete it from your list; if it is important you’ll eventually add it back.
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Taking Smart Notes
When we take notes, it should not become a stack of forgotten thoughts. Our notes should be a rich and interconnected collection of ideas we can draw on regardless of where our interests lead us.
Luhmann's slip-box
German sociologist Niklas Luhmann (1927-1998) designed his slip-box made up of index cards. They were thematically unlimited. His simple system produced a prolific output. Over his 30-year career, Luhmann published 58 books and hundreds of articles while completing his two-volume masterwork, The Society of Society (1997). He regularly pointed to his slip-box as the source for his fantastic productivity.
How Luhmann's slip-box worked
- He wrote down any interesting or potentially useful ideas on uniformly sized index cards on one side only.
- Each new index card got a sequential number, starting at 1.
- When a new source was added to that topic or something to supplement it, he would add new index cards with letters added to the number (1a, 1b, 1c, etc.)
- These branching connections were marked in red as close as possible, where the branch began.
- Any of these branches could also have their own branches. (For example 21/3d26g53)
- As he read, he would create new cards, update or add comments to existing ones, create new branches from existing cards, or create new links between cards.