Who this is for
Researchers and writers building a literature pile who need the takeaway and the relevance, not a highlight they'll never revisit.
The moment this saves you
I highlight half the article, save it, and months later have a graveyard of highlights with zero memory of why any of it mattered to my actual project.
See it work
Messy spoken thought in. A clean, structured artifact out.
Just finished that paper on remote work productivity, the one by the Stanford group. The main finding was that remote workers were actually 13% more productive but a big chunk of that was just working more hours, not being more efficient per hour, which is the nuance everyone skips. Relevant to my piece because it complicates the 'remote is strictly better' narrative I was leaning on. The thing I want to quote is that hours-versus-efficiency distinction. One caveat, it was a call center, so might not generalize to creative work.
Research note, Stanford remote-work productivity study
- Source: Stanford group, remote-work productivity paper
- Key finding: Remote workers ~13% more productive, but much of that came from working more hours, not higher efficiency per hour.
- The nuance: The hours-vs-efficiency distinction is usually skipped.
- Relevance to my work: Complicates the "remote is strictly better" narrative I was leaning on.
- Quote to pull: The hours-versus-efficiency distinction.
- Caveat: Study population was a call center, may not generalize to creative work.
The workflow
Record a voice note
Hit the hotkey and talk, no formatting, no typing.
Tag it with this context
Contextli shapes your words into the structured output above.
Find it later
Everything's searchable and organised by context.
Pull it into Claude or ChatGPT
Bring your contexts straight into your AI tools with the Contextli MCP.
Your raw recording and transcription stay on your device, so you can always go back to the original.
The prompt behind this context
I'm going to summarize something I just read, an article, paper, or book, and why it matters to my work. Turn it into a research note with labeled lines: a bold Title, Source (author/publication if I name it), Key finding (the main takeaway), The nuance (any subtlety or counterpoint I raise), Relevance to my work (why it matters to what I'm doing), Quote to pull (only if I flag something worth quoting), and Caveat (any limitation I mention). Keep my framing of why it matters, that's the point of the note. Don't add findings, numbers, or caveats I didn't state. Output only the note.
Make it your own. This is a starting point. Once it's in Contextli, tweak the instructions so the output comes out exactly how you like it.
Use this context
One click copies it and shows you exactly how to drop it into Contextli.
Next, open Contextli, go to the Contexts page, click Import, choose From JSON, paste, then Import Context. It is ready to use.
Make it your own. This is a starting point. Once it's in Contextli, tweak the instructions so the output comes out exactly how you like it.
Your raw recording and transcription stay on your device, so you can always go back to the original.
Related contexts
Lecture to Notes
Walking out of class, the lecture still makes sense in your head, then it leaks away by the time you sit down. Explain it back in your own words now, and get structured notes with key terms you can actually study from at exam time.
Code Decision Log
Right after you make the call, while the tradeoffs are still fresh, talk through why you went this way and what you rejected. Three months from now when someone asks 'why a queue here?', the answer is already written down.
Daily Journal
It's 11pm and a blank page feels like a chore, so you skip it again. Instead, just talk the way you'd process the day in your head. You'll wake up to a warm, honest entry in your own voice, not a transcript.
Questions people ask
Questions researchers ask about Reading & Research Note
How do I take book notes without losing the thread of what I am learning?
The most effective approach is to take it in fully first, then speak a summary immediately after the book ends while it is still fresh. The Reading & Research Note context structures your spoken summary into a study note with key points, questions, and takeaways. You retain more because you summarized in your own words instead of transcribing.
What is the best way to capture takeaways from a book so I remember them later?
Speak a structured summary using the Reading & Research Note context immediately after the book ends. The context formats your spoken words into a study note with the main ideas, anything worth keeping verbatim, and open questions. Speaking a summary in your own words is one of the most effective recall techniques, and Contextli handles the formatting so the result is readable later.
How do I take book notes by voice without typing?
Add the Reading & Research Note context to Contextli, then speak your summary. The context produces a study note in plain text you can paste into your notes system. The recording stays on your device.
What should a book note include to be useful later?
A book note is most useful when it covers the source and date, the main argument or thesis, three to five key points or insights, anything worth quoting, and your own reactions or questions. The Reading & Research Note context structures your spoken debrief to capture all of these, so you do not have to remember the template while speaking.
How do I add this context to Contextli?
Copy the context on this page, then open Contextli and go to the Contexts page. Click Import, choose From JSON, paste it into the Import from Clipboard window, and click Import Context. It is ready to use in under 30 seconds. If you do not have Contextli yet, you can download it for free first.
Is my voice recording private? Does Contextli send it anywhere?
Your voice recording and the transcription are stored on your device only. Contextli processes your audio locally and does not send your recordings or transcription text to any server. The structured output it produces is text you control, and you decide where it goes.
Can I change what the output looks like?
Yes. Every context in Contextli is a starting point you can edit. Open the context in the app, change the instructions to adjust the structure, tone, or fields, and save. The next time you use it, the output reflects your changes. You are not locked into the default format.
Do I need to install an app to use this context?
Yes. Contextli is a free app. Download it, then copy this context and paste it into the Import from Clipboard window on the Contexts page. The whole process takes about 30 seconds.