Note taking tools and strategies

A broad review of note-taking strategies for long-form writing was conducted by Baldur Bjarnason in a three-part series as part of his Colophon Cards project.

Before reading Baldur’s excellent research, you should know that notes are a means to an end. Much of note-taking is a form of idea-hoarding, but Baldur’s research is sourced from writers who use note-taking for something, whether a thesis, a book, or some other project.

In a survey, Baldur synthesized the various ways people use note-taking into the management of either Creativity, Knowledge, or Understanding. These categories broadly divide the note-taking tool market and the ends that people seek when using a new tool.

Baldur deduces that there are two organizational strategies to note-taking, notes as maps or boxes.

Purpose is one perspective you might take when researching note-taking and the tools at your disposal. Another is process. Baldur reduces the note-taking into three steps: Collect, Contextualize, and Map. In his formulation, Note-taking Moves Towards An End Via a Process.