strategies Before Reading Different things I've done when reading  for a purpose:

• Refer to footnotes or endnotes if they are used for more than just citation
• Refer to a glossary or a dictionary for words, terms, or jargon I might be unfamiliar with
• Note interesting ideas I want to explore further
• Note other works referenced or cited by the book for further reading

Sometimes my notes are fairly well organized and in something resembling outline format. Other times I'll group similar ideas together in an area of a page or on separate pages.I don't like marking up my books, so any notes I might take are almost always external and on a few sheets of paper I can stick in the book as I read it. I've also used Post-Its or page markers on individual pages when I want to make sure a note goes with a particular page or paragraph, or index cards I can leave in the book with the page they go with. When I'm done I can collect the notes or cards and combine and organize them with any other notes I've taken.