{"id":218,"date":"2019-07-01T19:07:09","date_gmt":"2019-07-01T19:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/scholarlywriting\/?post_type=chapter&p=218"},"modified":"2019-09-30T22:17:00","modified_gmt":"2019-09-30T22:17:00","slug":"dialectic-notetaking","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/scholarlywriting\/chapter\/dialectic-notetaking\/","title":{"raw":"Dialectic Notetaking","rendered":"Dialectic Notetaking"},"content":{"raw":"

A dialectical approach to taking notes sounds much more complicated than it is. Dialectic just means a dialogue<\/b>\u2014a discussion between two (or more) voices trying to figure something out. Whenever you read new material, particularly material that is challenging in some way, it can be helpful to take dialectic notes to create clear spaces for organizing different sets of thoughts.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Start by drawing a vertical line <\/b>down the middle of a fresh sheet of paper to make two long columns\u2014leave some space at the bottom of the page. Table 2.5 <\/b>provides an overview of what you should put in the left and right column. <\/b>It\u2019s a good idea to leave space at the bottom of the page (or on the back) for additional notes about this piece or cite the source.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Table 2.5: <\/b>Dialectic note-taking<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Left column \u2013 main ideas<\/th>\r\nRight column \u2013 your response<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\r\n

This column is a straightforward representation of the main ideas in the text you are reading. For example:<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    \r\n \t
  • <\/span>What are the author\u2019s main points in this section?<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  • <\/span>What kind of support is the author using in this section?<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t
  • <\/span>Other points of significant interest?<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

    Note the source and page number, if any, so that you can find and document this source later. You can directly quote these points, but write these down as you encounter them, not later. If you quote directly, use quotation marks.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

\r\n

The right column includes the questions and connections you make as you encounter this author\u2019s ideas. For example:<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n