Notes on Annotation

References

• Annotating Texts UNC Learning Center
• Tips for Annotating

Notes

Annotating Texts

What is annotation?

Annotation can be:

• A systematic summary of the text that you create within the document
• A key tool for close reading that helps you uncover patterns, notice important words, and identify main points
• An active learning strategy that improves comprehension and retention of information

Why Annotate?

• Isolate and organize important material
• Identify key concepts
• Monitor your learning as you read
• Make exam prep effective and streamlined
• Can be more efficient than creating a separate set of reading notes

How do you annotate?

• Summarize key points in your own words
• Circle key concepts
• Write brief comments and questions in the margins
• Use abbreviations and symbols
• • Use ? when you have a question or something you need to explore further
  • Use ! when something is interesting, a connection, or otherwise worthy of note
  • Use * for anything that you might as an example or evidence when you use this information
• Highlight/underline

Many college students use highlighting as a reading tool. However, despite its popularity, highlighting tends not to be a very effective reading strategy. This handout shares effective reading strategies that you can use instead of or in addition to highlighting and shares tips for highlighting well.

• • Summarizing can be more effective than highlighting or annotating
  • Only highlight after you've reached the end of a paragraph or a section.
  • Limit yourself to highlighting one sentence or phrase per paragraph
  • Consider color-coding

Concerns On Annotation

• It takes time initially
• It will save you time later when you are studying. Your annotated noted will help you speed up exam prep
• It increases the likelihood that you will retain the information after the course is completed.

Tips for Annotating

Annotating keeps the reader engaged with the text. It is a key component of close reading. It allows readers to dialogue with the text, formulate questions, and record comments, thus developing a deeper understanding of the work’s meaning.

• Consider post-it notes
• Use punctuation marks such as stars, arrows, question marks, check marks, brackets to mark the text that you may want to come back to. Create a unique system that you think is important or questionable.