Question, Evidence, Conclusion notes

QEC notes are built for thinking, not recording. Each block starts with a question worth arguing about, gathers the evidence from the sources that bears on it (for and against), and ends with a conclusion that says what the evidence supports and how firmly. The result is a set of small, argued positions rather than a summary of what each source said.

The method suits essay research, history and social science reading, policy and business analysis, and any reading where the person will later have to take a side. It keeps evidence tied to its source, which makes the essay easier to write and the citations easier to find, and it shows at a glance where a conclusion rests on one weak source.

When to use it