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My Approach to Reading and Note-Taking

I don't take notes for 90% of my reading


I have three reading models:
1. Skimming (50%)
2. Reading for pleasure (40%)
3. Understanding and dissecting a research paper (10%)

Contrary to popular advice, I don't take any notes for the first two categories, which make up 90% of my reading. I simply highlight and quote. Oh, and I also don't do booknotes.

When reading on my Kindle, I sometimes highlight stuff and sync it through Readwise. I don't do podcast notes either, opting for podcast snips instead. For the 3rd model, most of my 'note-taking' is actually replaced by AI extraction. For example, I ask what the Research Questions (RQs) are in a particular paper.

The only notes I do write are focused on processes (how to do something), understanding (what's involved), or questions/ideas related to my work. For me, any other written notes just serve as search pointers. I do write a lot outside of note-taking, like blogs, journals, letters, and academic papers.