How to Take Notes on Articles: What to Capture While You Read

You read a good article with a highlighter in hand. At the end there are fifteen yellow passages and no idea which of them mattered. The notes took effort and gave you nothing to use.

This page is about the reading itself: what to write down while the article is open in front of you. What happens after, remembering it a week or a month later, is its own topic: see How to remember what you read and watch.

Before you read: one question

Write down why you are reading this, in one line. "Does remote work really cut productivity?" "What should I try for better sleep?" The question tells you what to capture; without one, everything looks important.

Then skim the headings and the last paragraph. Knowing where the article goes stops you from noting a point it takes back three paragraphs later.

What to capture

Most of an article is set-up, examples and transitions. Capture three kinds of things, and let the rest go.

• The claim that answers your question, or changes your answer. Usually one or two per article.
• The evidence you would want to cite. A number, a study, a concrete example. Note where it came from.
• Your reaction. Where you agree, disagree, or got a new question. This is the part no one else can write for you.

Skip definitions you can look up again, and anything you already knew.

Highlights or your own words?

A highlight marks where something is. A note says what you made of it. Both have a place.

• Quote it when the exact words matter: a line you will cite, a definition the author coined, a sentence you want to argue with.
• Write it in your own words for everything else. If you can't, read the paragraph again; you have not understood it yet.
• Never keep a quote alone. Put one line of your own under each one: why it matters, or what you think. A quote without your line is a bookmark.

One idea per note

Write each idea as its own short note, rather than one long page per article. Start it with the idea as a sentence: "Sleep debt builds up quietly" says more than "Notes on sleep article". Small notes can each link to different places later; a long page can link to one.

Two to five notes is plenty for a long article. If you have more, you are probably copying the article.

Link as you go

While the article is still open, ask two questions of each note.

1. Where did this come from? Keep the note tied to the article, so you can go back to the full context.
2. Where have I seen this before? A note you wrote last month, a book, your own experience. Write the link down, even as one line: "This contradicts what I wrote about the 8-hour rule."

That second link is cheapest now, while you still hold both ideas in your head.

When you finish

Close the article and write two sentences: what it argued, and what you think. If you can't write them without looking, your notes missed the main point. Go back once.

Then stop. Getting the notes to come back later is a separate step, covered in How to remember what you read and watch.

An example

Question: "Should I stop checking email first thing?" An article on morning routines might give you:

• Quote: "The first hour sets the agenda for the day." My line: true for me on days I start with email; I end up answering other people's priorities.
• Claim, my words: deep work goes better before any messages, because there is nothing yet pulling attention away.
• Link: this fits my note from last month about turning off notifications, which helped more than I expected.
• Summary: the article says protect the first hour; I will try checking email at 10 for two weeks.

Doing it in Linko

Linko is a notes app built so these steps take less effort.

• Save the article. Share it from any app on your phone, use the browser extension on a computer, or paste the link. See Save links from your phone and your browser.
• Read it in the page. The article opens with a short card on what it says, and your notes on it sit on the same page.
• Quote and note in one step. Select a passage and choose Note this: the quote opens in a new note, tied to the article, and you write your line under it. See What Linko adds to a resource, and Key points.
• From the browser extension, select a passage on any page, right-click and choose Add to Linko as a note.
• Use Key points for long articles. They walk through the article section by section, and Note this section keeps one as a note.
• Let Linko find the links. After you save a note, related notes show up on it, including ones about other articles and books. You can also link two notes yourself. See Related notes and search.

Common mistakes

• Highlighting everything. If half the page is yellow, nothing is.
• Notes with no source. A month later you can't check what the author really said.
• Copying the author's structure. Your notes should follow your question, not the article's headings.
• Waiting until later. The reaction you had while reading is the first thing to fade.

FAQ

Should I take notes while reading or after?

Both, briefly. Mark and quote while you read, and write your two-sentence summary right after you finish.

How many notes should I take on one article?

Two to five for a long article, often one for a short one. One clear note you will use beats ten you won't open.

Should I highlight or write notes?

Highlight to mark a passage, then write a line of your own about each one you keep. The line is what makes the note useful later.

How do I remember the articles I take notes on?

That is a separate step: see How to remember what you read and watch.

Try it

Pick one article you saved this week. Write your question first, take three notes with a line of your own in each, and link one to something you already knew. How Note this works in Linko →