Outline notes

The outline method arranges notes by level: main topics at the top, the points that support each topic indented under it, and details or examples indented again under those. The indentation does the work of showing which idea belongs to which, so a reader can see the shape of a whole lecture in a glance and skim down only where they need detail.

It is the most common note-taking method for a reason: it matches how most lectures, textbooks, and reports are already built. It is less suited to material that jumps around or is mostly about relationships between ideas. In Markdown, headings carry the top levels and nested bullets carry the rest.

When to use it

• A lecture or chapter follows a clear structure (sections, subsections).
• Someone has messy notes and wants them reorganized into a hierarchy.
• They need a skimmable version of a long document, report, or manual.
• They ask for an outline or "outline notes".