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Note Taking
Note Taking from the Spoken Word
The approach suggested below can be used to take notes from, speeches,
lectures, videos, television, meetings and conversations.
1. Get your central image from the title of whatever it is you are
listening to, watching or taking part in. If necessary wait until it
becomes clear .
2. It helps to have your main branches already prepared. This may be
discovered by asking the speaker for the main topics.
3. To build up your skill and confidence, you may want to try the
following:
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Start with a “low risk” activity such as a TV show or the news. You
may wish to tape the item so that you check afterwards how accurately
your Mind Map recorded what was said
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Create a Mind Map from your linear notes, highlighting the KEY words
for your main branches
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Work with a “buddy”. One makes a Mind Map, the other makes linear
notes. Compare after the lecture or meeting
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As a back up use a small tape recorder to record the talk. If you feel
you are getting “behind”, “lost” or “in a mess”, note the tape counter
number and check or add to your Mind Map later.
 4. If you wish to re-do or re-order your Mind Map because it looks
“messy” consider what “messy” means. Does the Mind Map look messy or is
the organisation of the information messy? Note that linear notes may
look neat, but informationally they are often very messy; it is hard to
get the information back from the notes at a glance. A hurried Mind Map
may occasionally look messy, but informationally it is still neater and
clearer. If it is appropriate you can always make it more beautiful and
finely organised when you review or redo it. (Note: click the image to
view a larger version - Mind Map of notes from interview skills lecture.)
5. The most important themes and KEY words can be moved from many
specific, detailed Mind Maps onto a MASTER MIND MAP. This can be
magnificent review process and also can show the connections and
relationships between information, even from different disciplines.
Note Taking from the written word
The approach suggested below can be used to summarise books, magazines,
articles and reports
1. The idea for your central image may be stimulated by the covers,
logos of any other graphics or images from the material you are reading
2. The major branches (Basic Ordering Ideas) could be supplied by:
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chapter headings
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division headings
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goals
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questions
3. Browse and range read (range reading is the ability to have a choice
of reading speeds to adjust to your mood and the material) the
information, adding layers of detail as needed
4. Remember to SELECT actively the information you need and REJECT that
which you do not
5. HIGHLIGHT the KEY WORDS which will provide the triggers to large
quantities of additional data
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