SUGGESTIONS FOR HISTORY WORK IN COURSE[1]
I. NOTEBOOK PREPARATION
It is very generally maintained that, for best results, the use of notebooks is essential in history work. Tei is, In any case, well established that poor notebooks and note-taking methods are often worse than none. The following proved methods will be found useful in obtaining good results.
1. Size and Variety of Notebooks. The notebook for history use should always be of the loose-leaf, side-opening variety, accommodating paper 5 by 8 inches, 6 by 9 inches, or 8½ by 11 inches in size—these being standard filing sizes. The 5 by 8 inches size is recommended to students whose writing is of average size.
2. Arrangement of Notes. Only one side of the page should be used for note taking.
Notes may be written along the longer dimension of the sheet to good advantage. This contributes to the leaving of a substantial margin on the left-hand side of every sheet. This margin may be used for the noting of sources and pages of reading on which notes are based, and the main headings of topics on which notes are taken. The margin thus forms an index to the entire body of notes, and it should be used as such.
Notes should always be written in ink. Notes taken with pencil almost invariably blur, and frequently become illegible.
Notes may be taken in summary (paragraph) form or in outline form. The former is much to be preferred. If the latter style is used, the outline should be made to give actual information which will be of material assistance in reviewing the work.
A standard filing box or cabinet is recommended as a depository for notes as they are removed from the notebook. These may be easily indexed and kept for ready and permanent reference.[2]
- ↑ The author is indebted to the McKinley Publishing Company for permission to include here the substance of his article entitled, "Self-Starting the College Freshman History Course," which appeared in the Historical Outlook for October, 1923, pp. 254–257.
- ↑ See the article entitled, "Notes on Professional Cold Storage," in the Historical Outlook for June, 1922, pp. 205–207.
