Notetaking is the most essential skill for Documenters. Check out some best practices for taking notes below.

Make sure to check any assignment instructions on Documenters.org, the email that notified you about your assignment, or with your local site staff:

Tips

Generally, we recommend that you note information in a way that works for you—feel free to abbreviate, use shorthand, or draw. Just be sure to organize and revise for your readers per your local site’s instructions after the meeting.

Remember that someone who didn't attend the meeting should be able to understand what happened based on your notes.

1. Do your pre-research: Prepare for your assignment by reading any meeting agendas or other documentation associated with your meeting. Learn more about pre-research here: Before your assignment
2. Create a system: It’s okay to stick to keywords, phrases, and short sentences to maximize the number of points you record during your assigned meeting (you can always add more later). Raw notes can be used to create a more thorough submission. Record audio and timestamps (i.e. jot down times for) portions you want to double-check.
3. Listen and learn: Make a conscious effort to pay attention during your assignment. Concentrate on being accurate and hearing different perspectives.
4. Make connections: Notetaking by hand? Weave blank space throughout your notes to backfill with comments, questions and connections that arise throughout the meeting. Typing? Use functions like bold and underlined text to group similar sections.
5. Use your time efficiently: If the meeting is jam-packed, remember that you don’t need to capture everything: Focus on a couple of the most important items that you identified during your pre-research. Documenters are paid a set rate based on the length of the meeting along with some additional time for pre-research and editing. We expect reasonably concise and thorough notes in line with that time allotment.
6. Review and edit: Following the meeting, make sure your writing is legible, any notes are clarified, and you follow any specific instructions from your site. Don’t wait too long between writing and review. Useful details may fade from your memory over time.

Things you might consider including

• Count or estimate the number of attendees (not including officials).
• Log what time the meeting started.
• Include names of presenters at the meeting, including titles and affiliations.
• Describe the stated goals of the meeting.
• Describe the main concerns of attendees and why those concerns were raised.
• Describe or list next steps and solutions presented at the meeting.
• Name and quote community members who spoke or presented at the meeting. You may need to approach them after the meeting to ensure you have their names spelled correctly, or you can describe them generally (for example, "a resident").