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PDF Annotation Use Cases
PDF Annotation Use Cases

PDF annotation is a versatile tool; here are some suggestions on how to use it.

Soren Bjornstad avatar
Written by Soren Bjornstad
Updated over a week ago

Whether you are at the workplace, studying for exams, or conducting independent research or writing projects. The PDF annotator can be a powerful ally. Here are some ideas for how to put its various features to work.

Using the PDF Annotator for Research

The PDF Annotator is an excellent tool for anyone doing almost any kind of research.

  • Take detailed and organized notes from sources while you read them, tagging with knowledge categories, topics, or even future project sections.

  • Use highlights, pins and references to extract key quotes and information from articles and sources, copy them into your notes for latter use.

  • Build up a “to read” section by copying then tagging references that seem interesting or useful as you encounter them.

  • Use the Pin to connect sources to notes unobtrusively, building your bibliography and footnotes as you go.

Using the PDF annotator as a Student

Students are often drowning in PDFs, from thousand-page textbooks to hundreds of scholarly articles. Here are some tricks, tips, and ideas for using the PDF annotator:

  • Upload all your PDFs to keep track of them easily with a folder for each class or topic.

  • Pin the appropriate papers, textbook chapters, and handouts to each section of notes.

  • Use the highlighter to track what you need to work on; use different colors for ‘understood’, ‘ask questions’, ‘research more’, ‘flashcard’, and so forth.

  • Use references and pins when taking notes off textbooks or papers to copy essential quotes and easily find important references later.

Using the PDF Annotator in the Workplace

Don’t underestimate the number of PDFs you will run into in your job, nor the practical advantages of being able to integrate them and annotate them in your notes.

  • Upload any and all of the following:

    • Key documents, forms, and reports,

    • Onboarding materials for new hires,

    • Manuals, guides, and other clutter that “might” come in handy (it will, eventually).

  • Quickly get up to date and stay ahead of cutting-edge research by going over the latest papers or articles.

  • Take notes on old or new company copy or content, while highlighting:

    • areas that need improvement,

    • ageless or reusable content,

    • with different colors for who needs to work on what next,

  • Use references or pins to integrate forms or reports into your todos or daily notes.

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