Diagrammatic notes

Tony Buzan, in his book Use Your Head (BBC Publications, 1974) puts forward a model for note-taking based on the use of diagrammatic, or "pattern", notes:

• Pattern notes begin in the centre of the page and branch outwards in all directions like a road map.
• Adding a new topic is like adding a major road, with reference and other material branching off to form side roads.
• Links between sections can be made with dotted lines or arrows (like proposed roads or by-passes).

Figure 1: Spider diagram

Advantages of diagrammatic note taking:

• allows the structuring of complex relationships.
• open-ended - new material can be inserted at any point
• ideal for planning essays -various models of your topic can be developed without having to scrap one version in favour of another.
• links between important points can be shown.
• visual nature aids recall.

Diagrammatic Notes (PDF opens in new window)

Linear notes
Re-organisation to the layout of your notebook may well prove beneficial:

• Use loose-leaf note-books so that you can incorporate additional relevant material later.
• Learn to recognise anecdotal material - you rarely need to record this.
• Make use of the planned structure of the lecture to help you set out your notes.

In order to develop a consistent style:

• Use headings, sub-headings, bullet points and indentations to identify and separate the various components of the lecture.
• Use abbreviations / stars / dashes / underlining / colour etc. to emphasize main points and connections.
• Develop your own shorthand for recurring themes, technical terms, formulae etc.
• Use diagrams as visual keys, even if you don’t use "pattern notes" generally.
• Group references and notes on further reading to give them more prominence. 
• Cross-reference lecture notes to course-work or private study.
• File your notes carefully and consistently. 
• Standardise your page layout in order to identify the type of material you are dealing with.

Figure 2: Linear notes

If you are not sure of the best location for your notes: photocopy and file in two or more locations insert a reference sheet to identify the location of the complete set of notes.

Linear Notes Layout (PDF opens in new window)