Welcome to The STEM Sessions Podcast – the podcast where doing your own research is encouraged. I am your host, Cody Colborn.
To start off, yes, I’m back from an 11 month extended vacation
Actually, real life just got in the way; family medical stuff, aging parental stuff, work, starting Socal Science Hikes
I just didn’t have the energy reserves to publish the podcast
I started and didn’t finish a dozen or so episodes, so hopefully, you’ll see an uninterrupted few months of episodes going forward
During my absence, I tried several workflows to improve my productivity
None of which fully worked
I just had to kick my own ass a bit
But that opened an unexpected YouTube rabbit hole of journaling videos
Recommendations for bullet journaling, the difference between catch-all notebooks and common place notebooks, and how keeping a zibaldone will change your life
Some people spend more time journaling that doing actual work it seems
Regardless, it made me think about the toolsv and methods I use for taking notes
And since taking notes is foundational to most endeavors in STEM, I thought it would make for a cool discussion
This is The STEM Sessions Podcast Episode 33 – There’s No Best Way to Take Notes
Keeping notebooks, paper and digital, is nothing new to me
I have nearly every notebook from high school and college
And they clearly show an evolution
My dad always carried a memo book in his front shirt pocket, before switching over to his phone in the modern era
And from him I learned the meaty part of your palm at the base of your thumb is a great space for jotting down a quick note or number you need to remember
So I’ve long been a note taker, though my method has definitely changed over the years
My methods also differs by setting, whether I’m at work or home or on the trail
When I started work 25 years ago, we didn’t have any electronic note taking software
The holy engineering notebook was standard
Learned how to keep one in college
They told us to keep detailed records and dates of everything so you have artifacts in the cases of disputes over ideas Patent origination no longer applies since it’s first to file
They also said it would help in case anyone challenged you over a solution – all of which has happened exactly zero times in my career
Many of my coworkers used hardcover notebooks with lined paper, pages pre-numbered
While fancy, it seemed too restrictive to me
So I used graph paper notebooks instead
Found it easier to draw charts, graphs, diagrams
However, I quickly grew to hate the inability to organize your notes
I used a different notebook for each program, but within a book, notes on the same subject could be separated by many pages
I found that frustrating
Within a year or two, i switched to loose leaf graph paper and three ring binders
You know the graph paper I’m talking about – the pale green sheets
I could divided the binder into sections without needing to skip pages in case I needed to return to that topic
I could remove pages for easier copying
I could re order material as I needed – pages were always dated of course
This system stayed with me for many many years
Eventually, my company switched to Microsoft office and with it came OneNote
I was an early adopter – something I’m usually not
But it made sense
Even more flexibility, perhaps too much
Link to files, capture screen shots
Interface with emails and TEAMS (several years later)
When we switched, I was using a desktop, so I would still use a notebook in meetings or in the lab
Transfer those notes into OneNote when I got back to my desk
With a laptop, my note taking is almost 100%digital – I carry a small memo book with me in case I need to write something down when I don’t have my laptop
Developed my own to do lists
Maintain a bibliography of my papers
It’s the best for record retention and recollection…
Until your hard drive dies, which mine did
And because we weren’t backing up to OneDrive at the time, I lost years of notes
I was traumatized
Luckily, I was able to recreate a lot via my email archives
And eventually, I learned I really didn’t need that history in the first place
At home, I use physical notebooks and OneNote synced between my phone and laptop
Day to day activities like to do lists are tracked in memo size, dot grid notebooks
Also record data like flight confirmation numbers, contact information
I manage several of these working notebooks in parallel; one for each major subject
For example, there’s one for general notes, another for The STEM Sessions, another for Socal Science Hikes
When notebook is full, I review it for any information I want to keep
Phone numbers, email addresses, car maintenance info, veterinary info, etc
And transfer that information into a larger size, permanent record notebook
I also transfer the information into OneNote, so I can access it from any location and, more importantly, it’s easily searchable
For significant research such as selecting plants for my landscaping, or a hike, or a podcast episode, I use OneNote
Copy and pasting, screen caps, retaining urls make OneNote a much better choice than paper
Main advantage of paper is recording the aha moments when an idea pops in your head
Easy to quickly sketch the concept on with pencil and paper
Drawing with your finger or even a stylus isn’t as good
Plus you need to open the app on your phone or boot up the laptop
Flipping to a blank page is immediate
Example: 1030P and a concept for how I can store my giveaway notebooks at the ren fair hits me
Grab my guild notebook, and 15 minutes later I’ve have a fully formed idea with detailed sketches
One area in which I exclusively use paper, and that’s my outdoor adventures
The tradition of keeping a field journal just has a romantic and historical aura about it
When I’m on the trail, I carry a pouch containing a pencil, mini sharpie, a set of mini colored pencils, a few index cards, and a memo book
I use this kit to record observations and thoughts while on the move or stopped on breaks
I have my phone with me, and use it to take photos, but I just find taking real time, in the field, notes on it to be… not enjoyable
Depending on the lighting, the screen is often too dark so the brightness has to be turned up all the way, draining the battery and making the device run hot
Or I have to find shade, which isn’t always immediately available when hiking through southern california chaparral
Pencil on paper is always visible
When I get home, I use my notes to write a more detailed entry in my field journal (a larger format notebook)
I highlight the plant and animal species I observed; color coding first time observations
I note the weather, the trails I traveled, and my thoughts
The result is part personal journal, part scientific documentation
Handwriting your notes has advantages
So does recording your notes digitally
There’s no right way, there’s no wrong way
Just the way that works for you
Thank you for listening to this episode of The STEM Sessions Podcast – a podcast researched, written, and produced by Cody Colborn. The shownotes and transcript can be found at thestemsessions.com, which is also the best place to provide feedback, corrections, and value for value support.
Remember, doing your own critical research will always be to your benefit, and any pundint or scientist that tells you “just trust me, bro” or scolds you for fact checking and questioning isn’t offering true education.
So until the next one, keeping learning.