Matthew Hertogs wrote this essay when he was a sophomore at the University of Washington, where he was pursuing a degree in computer science with a minor in mathematics. The essay was published in...

Matthew Hertogs wrote this essay when he was a sophomore at the University of Washington, where he was pursuing a degree in computer science with a minor in mathematics. The essay was published in Xchanges, an interdisciplinary Technical Communication, Writing/Rhetoric, and Writing Across the Curriculum journal, which publishes two issues annually from its home in the English Department at the University of New Mexico. This piece was published in an issue dedicated to undergraduate research. Hertogs is currently a soware engineering lead at Hiya, a company that partners with carriers and smart phone makers to offer caller profile solutions and spam protection for their customers.

Before you read, think about your own notetaking habits. When you are in class, do you tend to take notes on paper or do you type them on your laptop or another electronic device?

As you read, think about the different kinds of evidence Hertogs uses to evaluate the two kinds of notetaking he is researching.