I tested and tried a few note-taking applications before settling on OneNote. Previous attempts included Scrivener (which I still use, more on that later), Apple’s Notes (which I also use for more regular day-to-day notes), and Evernote (to get full functionality required paying for it, something I was not willing to do).
I was inspired by CJ Amberwood’s post on the subject from 2017, found here. As he points out, our smart phones are a big part of our lives, and an incredible tool for a historian researching in the archives.
I decided to use OneNote mainly because I could separate my dissertation project notes from other, more general notes in the form of notebooks. This allows me to keep my notes separate while copying entire pages (and even sections) to other notebooks. I also liked its hierarchical structure to organize my thoughts and the ease with which I could move pages around.
Sections, Groups, and More
I created a plethora of “sections” to organize my notes as you can see at right. This includes one for each chapter, one for each source type, and many for other items (general notes, feedback, to-do lists, and the front and back matter of the dissertation when I put it all together).
I’ve also created “section groups” to group together each chapter and research source pages. Each chapter gets a section, and then the subpages are where I keep general notes.
One thing I’ve done is to create pages to take notes on books, articles, magazines, oral histories, or any other source I’m using. They each get a page with the primary citation at the top and the complete citation with page number underneath every note and quote I make. This makes copying and pasting them into the various bits I’m writing (in Word) much easier when I need to put the citation together.
What I love
A primary reason I enjoy OneNote is that I can move pages around. So, when I’m getting ready to write a chapter, I drop all of the note pages relevant to that chapter into their respective section and then filter through them as I go. Once I’m done with a page, it is moved back to its original home under the “research notes” section group. This imperfect method allows me to know when I’ve gone through a source completely.
This method also allows me to capture all of my notes on a particular chapter in one place. Of course, many of the note pages apply to multiple chapters, so I move it to another when I’m done using it for one. But for whatever chapter I’m working on, I have everything in one place and go through it one by one, writing my chapter and using my notes and sources to shape and reinforce my argument.
The ability to use it on my phone and ipad just adds to its functionality. I could, even, upload pictures of documents in the archives directly to a specific page in OneNote if I wanted to.
However…
What I hate
The syncing can be a bit cumbersome. When I started out using OneNote I lost an entire notebook. I’m also worried about saving it and using it when i lose access to my university Microsoft Office 365 account.
Ultimately this has been the best application for me. I used a OneNote notebook for my comprehensive exams that was incredibly useful and helped me organize my book notes by theme. And I maintain yet another for day-to-day type work related stuff, mainly for teaching and writing feedback on smaller projects. OneNote is a great tool, and I hope this post helps someone organize theirs.
I found these books quite helpful:
Curtis Frye, Microsoft OneNote Step by Step
James Bernstein, OneNote Made Easy: Keeping Your Life Organized
Let me know what you think in the comments, perhaps you have a different method, or even a different favorite note taking application. I am always intersted in conversations about techniques and craft.
