Use a repeatable sentence shape
A compact note can contain four parts: the source, the observation, the interpretation and the unresolved question. You do not need four long paragraphs. One carefully worded line often works. The structure matters because it keeps what you read separate from what you concluded, making later revisions possible without forcing you to reread the entire file to recover the original basis.
Worked example: a collection slip
Write dispatch slip, 16:20: parcel collected under Mira's account; collector not identified. This preserves the supported event and the identity gap. Writing Mira collected parcel at 16:20 is shorter but adds a conclusion. The extra few words in the first note save you from treating your own shorthand as a new piece of evidence later.
Keep only useful detail
Do not copy every atmospheric sentence into your notes. Retain details that affect identity, sequence, relationships or the report you are building. Include a source label that lets you find the passage again. These are optional personal note-taking techniques, not claims about a separate notebook feature inside Somatry. The purpose is to reduce rereading while keeping the reasoning traceable, so brevity does not come at the cost of quietly changing what the case materials say.