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How to Read & Take Notes Like a PhD Student | Tips for Reading Fast & Efficiently for Slow Readers
Kaelyn Grace Apple | Historian
Overview
This video provides a comprehensive guide on how to read and take notes effectively, specifically tailored for PhD students but applicable to all academic levels. The presenter, a PhD student, outlines a three-pronged approach: reading for class, reading for retention, and reading for research. For class, the focus is on identifying pertinent readings from the syllabus, using the index to prioritize chapters, and taking concise notes in Notion with sections for major themes, scholarship, and questions. Reading for retention emphasizes active recall through discussion and teaching, with detailed note-taking categories like main argument, supporting arguments, sources, methods, and scholarly debate. Finally, reading for research highlights the importance of using indexes and search functions to quickly locate information relevant to a specific project, adapting previous reading strategies to focus on applicable chapters.
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Chapters
- •Reading is a fundamental skill for scholars, requiring more than just word recognition.
- •Effective reading involves processing meaning, argument structure, and developing retention strategies.
- •This video offers a PhD student's formula for efficient reading and note-taking.
- •The approach covers reading for class, retention, and research.
- •Prioritize readings based on syllabi and long-term research goals.
- •Use the index to identify key chapters and sections.
- •Take notes in Notion, focusing on major themes, scholarship, and questions.
- •Class notes should serve as talking points and examples for participation and exams.
- •Attend office hours for guidance on key takeaways.
- •Focus on active recall through discussion, teaching, or recording yourself.
- •Integrate readings into research papers to solidify long-term memory.
- •Structure retention notes with headers: main argument, supporting arguments, subjects/sites, sources/evidence, methods/theory, scholarly debate, terms/themes, questions, and notes.
- •Identify the author's main argument, how it's supported, and who they engage with.
- •Track quotes for future use in papers.
- •Pay close attention to the introduction for the main argument and thesis.
- •Identify supporting arguments, subjects, sources, methods, and scholarly discourse.
- •Use margin notes and footnotes for detailed annotations.
- •Articles often concentrate key information in the introduction and conclusion.
- •The introduction and conclusion are crucial for understanding the main argument and discourse.
- •Use the table of contents to grasp the book's structure and flow.
- •For chapters, read the first few pages for the topic, the first three sentences of each paragraph, and the last few pages for the conclusion.
- •Identify 1-4 examples of how the author uses evidence.
- •For scientific texts, focus on statistical methods.
- •Reading for research is about finding information pertinent to a specific project efficiently.
- •Focus on the key takeaways of your project and relevant search terms.
- •Utilize the index or PDF search function extensively.
- •Establish a list of key terms, recognizing that texts may use different language.
- •Adapt chapter reading strategies to focus only on directly applicable sections.
Key Takeaways
- 1Develop a strategic approach to reading based on your purpose: class, retention, or research.
- 2Utilize tools like Notion for organized note-taking across different reading objectives.
- 3Active recall, such as discussing material with others, is vital for long-term retention.
- 4For academic articles and books, prioritize the introduction and conclusion to grasp the core arguments.
- 5When reading books, employ a focused strategy for chapters: read the beginning, skim the middle, and read the end.
- 6The index and search functions are indispensable tools for efficient research reading.
- 7Note-taking should capture not just information, but also the structure of arguments and scholarly conversations.
- 8Reading is a skill that improves with consistent practice and strategic application.