Read on an e-reader while keeping paper notes

Choose a notebook location before starting the book. Leave enough space beside the reader for your writing hand and the open page. If the reader sits on a stand, check that page turns do not move it and that you can reach its controls without leaning across the notebook.

Decide how a note will point back to the source. For a novel or reflowable ebook, a displayed page number may change with settings or differ from another edition. Record the title, edition where relevant, chapter and a short identifying phrase or supported location reference. Use the device's available reference system consistently rather than relying only on a number that looks familiar.

For a fixed-page document, distinguish the printed page number from the viewer's page count when they differ. A report with a cover and preliminary pages can place printed page 1 several screens into the file. A brief note such as printed page 12 prevents confusion later.

Keep notes useful without copying the whole page

Write the idea you need in your own words and mark any short direct quotation clearly. Add a question or reason the passage matters to your task. A notebook full of disconnected copied lines can be harder to use than a few notes that explain your thinking.

If you also highlight on the device, decide what belongs in each place. For example, a highlight can mark the source while paper holds your comparison or response. Avoid making two incomplete systems that each depend on information stored only in the other.

Pause at a natural stopping point and test one reference. Can you return to the passage using only the notebook entry? If not, add the missing detail while the context is still fresh. This small check is especially useful when reading several books at once.

Label the notebook with its date range or project and include a short index if your own use benefits from one. Keep the ebook or document's filename and version recorded when it is a personal file rather than a store title. A revised report can otherwise make an old note appear inaccurate.

Back up important digital documents and preserve paper notes in a place you can find. The system should remain understandable if the reader is replaced. A few consistent reference details make handwritten thinking portable across devices without requiring a complicated note-taking application.