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But it's also widely used by many others, from business professionals to authors like Mark Twain. The word “annote” from Latin “ad” meaning "to" + “notare” meaning "to mark or note," was first recorded in the mid-15th century.Īnnotation has traditionally been used for scholars, researchers, and students to engage with texts. This form of note-taking can help us remember key information in any text, whether it's a textbook for school or a novel we enjoy.Īlthough writing inside books has generally been discouraged and frowned upon in recent decades, the practice of annotation dates back centuries. These notes can be about anything - our thoughts, reactions, questions - and they can be written in any way we want, from symbols to complete sentences. What is annotation?Īnnotating is the act of adding notes, comments, or highlighting to a text as we read through it.
#THINGS TO ANNOTATE HOW TO#
Get ready to learn how to annotate effectively with this five-step guide.
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In this article, we'll discuss what it means to annotate and how it can benefit your learning and comprehension. When done correctly, annotation can help you engage with the text, identify key points and themes, and even improve your comprehension. As children, we were taught not to write in our school books or library books, so annotations seemed taboo.īut what if writing in a book was not only OK but also encouraged?Īnnotation is a practical and valuable way to engage with text, whether it’s a novel, textbook, or article. It can feel a little mischievous to write on the pages of a book, as if we're breaking some rule.
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