Published 9 minutes ago

Judy is an author at XDA with over a decade of experience writing about digital media. She’s written for some of the largest names such as MakeUseOf, Android Central, Android Police. She always has an Windows computer handy and is always looking into upgrading. When she’s not writing about tech, she’s watching Return of the Jedi or playing with her Yorkie.

Whenever I have to research a complex topic, I always end up with various pages of notes. Even though I format the notes to make them easy to read, that doesn’t make up for their length. Since I didn’t want to waste time doomscrolling through my notes, wondering where a piece of information was, I used certain NotebookLM features to help me find specific text faster.

Features such as inline citations, audio reviews, and save to notes are ways I take it all in to better understand my notes. The features are available on free accounts with their limitations, of course, but they get the job done. That’s why I start with inline citations. They turn a long notebook into something I can actually navigate, without losing the thread.

Inline citations make answers easy to verify fast

Click the citation, check the line, and move on without opening new tabs

When I research, my notes turn into a mess I have to sort out later. I want to gather as much useful information on Bandwidth as I can. I create a reminder on Google Calendar to sort out my notes, but there is always something more important to work on.

I researched bandwidth throttling and added information on traffic-shaping strategies. Instead of doomscrolling through my notes, I asked the chat where I had mentioned the topic, and it appeared in the results. I clicked the Inline citation, which let me gain more context on the subject. Besides helping me find the correct information, it saves me time I can spend on something else. I like that I don’t have to remember where I wrote something.

I hover over a citation to preview the quoted lines, then click to jump to the exact spot in context. If my notebook has multiple sources, I uncheck the extras so the answer is more concise. Each citation is also numbered, making it easier to find a topic. In my notes on Network Quiet hours, each inline citation that mentioned Data Prioritization was labeled with the number four. Thanks to this feature, finding information on that topic was quick.

Audio Overviews turn a pile of sources into a quick listen

Use them to get the gist first, then go back in with a tighter question

When my notes get too long, I hit the point where I tell myself, “I don’t have time for this.” The audio overviews give me that podcast experience, letting me sit back, take my eyes off the screen for a bit, and listen. If I need to ask a question, I can click the ‘Join’ button. The feature feels more interactive because the audio says something like, “Oh, someone has a question,” and that’s where I pop in. It’s fun and helps me make sense of my notes.

When I need a break, I can click the pause button and get a cup of coffee. It would be nice not to have to look at the audio lines while I listen, but the feature does the job. NotebookLM lets you download the audio overviews, which is great if you want to share them with someone who might be struggling with the topic you’re investigating.

Save to note keeps the best answers from getting lost

Pin a response once, then stop re-reading the same pages

After I use inline citations to land in the right spot, I use ‘Save to note’ to make sure I don’t lose it again. When I get an answer I want to keep, I pin it, and the note is easily accessible below Studio. In my bandwidth throttling notes, there were some answers I wanted to save. After I did, I had the option to convert the note or all notes to source, Export to Docs or Sheet, or delete them.

I saved an answer to Docs, which saved me from doomscrolling because it exported that specific section to a new file, making it easier to find. The text was exported with formatting and everything, and the file even included its own headline. Exporting to Sheets is especially handy when the answer includes steps or comparisons, because I can scan rows instead of rereading paragraphs. Exporting to Docs works better when I want a clean draft-friendly chunk I can pull from.

The payoff is less hunting, more writing

Long notes aren’t the problem. Losing time looking through them is. Inline citations help me find the right line, Audio Overviews give me a quick podcast-like experience where I can hear my notes while I rest my eyes, and Save to note helps me extract the important sections for easy finding. If your notebooks keep growing past the point where they feel usable, start with one feature and use it on your next research session. You’ll see that it was worth it at the end.

NotebookLM is Google’s tool for working with your own research in one place. You add sources, then ask questions and get answers. You can count on tools like summaries, Audio Overviews, and saved notes to help you with messy notes.