My favorite part about reading novels and academic articles is realizing I did not retain a single word of what I read once I reach my stopping point (reader: please note the sarcasm). This is something that happens to me frequently, and while it’s frustrating, it is easily amendable. Instead of simply turning back to the first page to read again, I always make sure to have three things with me: a highlighter, a writing utensil, and book tabs. These three things are the gateway to the beauty that is annotating. There is no right or wrong way; these are just the materials I use and that I know work for me. I’ve always struggled with remembering what I read because I often do my work late at night. I read with a tired mind, which makes it easier for me to gloss over the words on the page and not truly read. Annotating my readings has provided me with a deeper understanding of what novels and academic articles are conveying by allowing me to fully engage with the text and retain the information. However, please know that novels and academic articles aren’t the only texts you can annotate; they are just the only texts I’ve personally had to read. Annotating is a universal tool that works for any sort of text, such as lab reports, poems, plays, essays, literature reviews, etc. If annotating is new to you, that’s totally okay! There are many ways to go about annotating, and I’m going to share what has been successful for me.
Different Ways to Annotate:
- Create a Key: A List of Symbols and What They Mean
A key of annotation symbols could be useful when reading because it will allow you to underline or highlight sections that stand out to you, and then mark them with a specific symbol. You don’t have to worry about leaving written comments as to why you marked that part because the symbols will do the work for you. Your annotations will tell you right off the bat whether that section was something that was interesting, important, confusing, funny, weird, etc. This method is good to use when you want to make quick notes as opposed to taking a bit more time to fully write out your thoughts. As an example of what a key can look like, here is the one I have created for myself when I annotate:
? – Confusing
!! – Interesting
* – Important
LOL – Funny (*note: I know this isn’t technically a symbol, but it’s an abbreviation, so I still include it in my key since it’s short and straightforward*)
…* – Potentially important
X – Disagree
✓ – Agree
❤ – Love this
- Highlight and Leave Comments
Highlighting and leaving little notes for yourself is, to me, the standard way of annotating. This method takes a bit more time than the symbols method, but it is no less effective. It allows you to take the time to collect your thoughts and write them down on the page next to the highlighted portion. You can write as much or as little as you want, but make sure the comments you make clearly reflect your thought process regarding each highlighted part. In doing that, it will make the re-reading process easier because when you glance over your highlights and annotations, you won’t be left questioning why exactly you marked a specific part. This method is useful when you have more time on your hands and prefer to fully write out your thoughts about a specific part rather than just leaving a symbol, which is a bit more vague.
- Use Book Tabs to Mark Parts that Stand Out
This method is much like the key method, but a bit simpler. Book tabs typically come in packs with different colors or patterns. You can designate each tab to represent something much like the symbols do in method one. This may be a bit simpler compared to the symbols method because, with that one, you take the time to underline or highlight a specific portion. With the book tabs, you can just stick it right by or on the part you want to keep a note of, and no highlighting, underlining, or writing down a symbol is needed. Just tab and move on! Quick, easy, and efficient. This method is great to use for texts you can’t really write on, such as rented library books or a borrowed text from someone (their printed copy of an essay, lab report, review, journal article, etc.). It also works best for when you need to find something at a glance without having to skim the text for your annotations.
A Final Thought:
Please keep in mind that each of these methods are simply suggestions and a way to get you started on your annotating journey. Absolutely feel free to take any or all of these methods and cater them to your own needs. You do not need to follow each step exactly; the whole point of annotating is to find a method and process that works for you. It is a helpful tool that makes information easier to retain and allows you to really think about what you’re reading rather than glazing over words on a page. Once you find something that works for you, I highly recommend trying it out!
About the Author
Maddie Rees (she/her) was born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Northern Virginia, but has been living in Richmond for three years. She studies English at VCU and double minors in creative writing and professional writing and editing. She spends her free time arguing with her cat, Frederick.
Photo by Kelsy Gagnebin on Unsplash
from the writing center at virginia commonwealth university 