The essence of an idea can be conveyed in just a sentence or two, even if it takes hundreds of pages to fully explain it.
Discoverability is important in note-taking, which refers to how easily information can be found in a search of a file or database. Progressive summarization is a note-taking technique that involves highlighting the most important points in layers.
- Layer 1 involves capturing the initial excerpts,
- layer 2 involves bolding the main points and most important takeaways,
- layer 3 involves highlighting the best of the best passages, and
- layer 4 involves creating an executive summary.
Each layer should include no more than 10-20% of the previous layer. For example, if you save a series of excerpts from a book amounting to 500 words, the highlighted third layer should include no more than 20 words.
