Mark-up method (for comprehension)

Probably everyone has their own way of "marking-up" an essay they are reading. Perhaps the code I've worked out will be helpful. If not come up with your own way to note these key aspects of an essay. This is the kind of thing you can do as you read through and then when you go back to write more formal notes or synopis this code will help you.

-KP: marks Key Points

-KP# : numbered marking of Key Points. Somehow putting a number to it makes you really have to decide if it is a "key" point or not. (If you have 50 "Key Points" after 4 pages...well they probably aren't all key points and you have to figure out a hierarcy of importance.)

-THESIS: marks a significant idea or proposition which underlies the whole essay or is the subject of significant argumentation or explanation or interpetation.

-D: Discuss in class or with friends, a point you find interesting or have questions about

-K.W.: Key Word in the author's lexicon

-Reference: A name, term, idea which has a reference outside of the paper (name of another writer perhaps) which you need to look up.

-Q: Quote, a section that you want to write into your notes so you can have on hand to quote later. Be sure to include page number.

-ED: Embedded Definition: can be very helpful to note when a writer defines the terms they are using, their working definition of 'modernism' for instance, in the text. A collection of these can tell a comparative story between different essays. Usually worth noting.

-?RE: Means that you didn't comprehend fully during the first read through, you want to go back and reread later.

-Style: Places where you note the athor's writing style.

-T/F: True or False? a point that you might take issue with.