Annotating non fiction pdf#
Annotating non fiction code#

Annotating non fiction pdf#

Electronic Notes: If you are annotating on a Kindle or PDF annotator, you can keep extended notes in the book.

You’ll always have the internet, right? This works for both electronic and paper books, it’s essentially an electronic Separate Notebook

Blog Notes: Yes, you can actually blog your notes, just be sure to include page numbers.

Separate Notebooks: This gives you unending space, but good luck keeping the notebooks organized and near your book.

When you want to make some extended thoughts, you have a few choices:

QT: Quotation, a quote you might like to reference later.

FP: Foundational Principle, I come upon these often in Theological and Philosophic works.

DEF: Definition, either a definition is provided, or needs to be looked up.

CS!: Controversial Statement, a radical or controversial statement.

AN: Anecdote, a nice verbal illustration or story.

1,2,3: Numbered lists noting progressive or itemized ideas in the text.

Margin Codes I use (always being simplified and improved) include the following: Also, such text-based indicators are searchable in some PDF annotation programs if you are reading a soft copy. You can make an endless list of attributes, they are somewhat self explanatory (unlike a color coded highlight system that forces you to have a color legend), and they have a small footprint. Margin codes are one of your most powerful annotation tools.

Often, highlighted passages come out dark or black when copied.

Annotating non fiction code#

There is no need for color unless you have some color code in mind, but I find margin codes much more useful than a color code, you are not limited to your color pallete, which will max out based on how many colored pens you have at your immediate disposal.No need to have a second writing implement (or more if you want to use various colors).I prefer underlining to highlighting, again, for a few reasons (YMMV): For example, whenever I find a word I need to look up, I underline it. There are still some times when you want to highlight individual sentences or words, even if you are using vertical lines on the side.

It allows you to indicate the level of importance you assign to the passage via the number of lines you use (1 = good, 2 = very good, 3 = awesome!).

You can more easily highlight longer passages, less ink on the page, and no having to be so careful to draw straight lines.

I prefer these to mere underlining, for a couple of reasons: This same method can help you return to a book you notated months or years ago and find the content you are looking for.

Some bibles use this same method to help you scan pages for specific content (Figure 1 below). One of the things I love about the Table of Contents of some old books is that they include detailed descriptive section headers, and those section headers often adorn the top of the pages.