Google NotebookLM is an AI tool designed to help with analyzing and synthesizing information from multiple sources, making it highly useful for academic research. It allows you to upload various document types, including PDFs, DOCs, and links, and interact with them in a conversational manner to extract insights, summaries, and answers to specific questions.
- Creating Literature Reviews with NotebookLM
- Summarizing Meetings and Seminars from Audio Files
- Quickly Summarizing and Learning from YouTube Tutorials
- Creating Reading Materials for Students from Papers, Articles, and News Links
- Creating Podcasts from Reading Materials Using Custom Buttons
- Cheat Sheet
1. Creating Literature Reviews with NotebookLM
NotebookLM can significantly streamline the process of literature review by helping you quickly grasp the main points of numerous documents and identify key themes and connections, regardless of whether you are working with files or online articles.
Steps:
- Access NotebookLM: Go to the Google NotebookLM website and sign in with your Google account.
- Create a New Notebook: Click on “Create New Notebook” to start a new project.
- Add Sources (Files or Links):
- For PDF and DOC Files: Click on the “PDF” or “DOC” option within your notebook. A file selection window will appear, allowing you to upload PDF and DOC files from your computer. You can upload up to 50 sources into one notebook.
- For Articles and Papers (Links): Use the option to add sources by pasting URLs of articles, papers, or webpages relevant to your literature review.
- Explore Initial Analysis: Once sources are added (either files or links), NotebookLM provides an initial analysis, summarizing topics, key arguments, and central questions from your documents. This gives you a quick overview of your uploaded content.
- Use the Chat Feature: Locate the chat box at the bottom of the interface to start interacting with your documents. Ensure your desired sources are selected to focus your queries.
- Ask Targeted Questions: Use prompts to ask NotebookLM specific questions about your literature. NotebookLM will answer by summarizing relevant information drawn from your sources and provide citations, linking back to the specific passages in your documents. Click on citations to jump to the original context in your source document.
Tip for Summarizing Specific Sources:
- Focus on Individual Documents: To summarize a particular source document in detail, simply select only that source in the source selection panel (usually found on the side of the NotebookLM interface) before entering your summarization prompt in the chat. By selecting specific sources, you instruct NotebookLM to focus its analysis and responses solely on those selected materials. This is incredibly useful when you want an in-depth summary of a single paper or article within your larger literature collection.
Prompts for Literature Review (Applicable to both Files and Links):
These prompts can be used whether you have uploaded PDF/DOC files or added sources via links. Adjust the prompts slightly to refer to “documents,” “articles,” or “papers” as appropriate for your source type.
- For Summarization:
- “Summarize the main arguments of the author in a concise, easy-to-understand, advanced bullet-point list.”
- “Provide a concise overview of [specific topic] across all documents/articles.”
- “Create a table summarizing the key methodologies used in these papers/articles.”
- For Thematic Analysis:
- “What are the recurring themes in these documents/articles related to [research area]?”
- “Identify the main points of agreement and disagreement between [Author A/Article at URL 1] and [Author B/Article at URL 2] on [specific issue].”
- “How do these papers/articles collectively define [key concept]?”
- For Specific Information Extraction:
- “Find all mentions of [specific keyword or concept] and summarize the context across these documents/articles.”
- “What evidence is presented in these papers/articles to support [specific claim]?”
- “List the limitations acknowledged by the authors in these studies/articles.”
- For Comparative Analysis:
- “Compare and contrast the approaches to [research problem] in [Document A/Article at URL 1] and [Document B/Article at URL 2].”
- “Analyze the evolution of [theory/concept] as presented in these documents/articles chronologically.”
- “Which documents/articles offer the most compelling evidence for [hypothesis] and why?”
- For Identifying Research Gaps:
- “Based on these documents/articles, what are the remaining research gaps in [field of study]?”
- “What future research directions are suggested by these authors/articles?”
- “Are there any unaddressed questions or controversies that emerge from this literature?”
- Evaluate Source Credibility (if applicable, especially for links):
- “Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence presented in [news article link] regarding [event/topic].”
- “Compare the viewpoints on [controversial topic] between [link to academic article] and [link to news source].”
2. Summarizing Meetings and Seminars from Audio Files
NotebookLM can help you create summaries of meetings or seminars from audio recordings, extracting key discussion points, questions, and feedback.
Steps:
- Upload Audio File: In your NotebookLM notebook, upload the audio file of your meeting or seminar. NotebookLM supports audio uploads and can transcribe and analyze the content.
- Review Transcription (Optional): While NotebookLM processes audio, you may have the option to review or edit the transcription for accuracy, depending on the tool’s features.
- Use Chat for Summarization and Analysis: Once processed, use the chat feature to ask questions and request summaries of the audio content.
Prompts for Meeting/Seminar Summary (Audio):
- General Summary:
- “Summarize the main topics discussed in this meeting/seminar.”
- “Provide a detailed summary of the key decisions and action items from the audio.”
- “Create a concise overview of the seminar presentation.”
- Identify Key Information:
- “What were the main questions asked by participants during the meeting/seminar?”
- “Identify any feedback provided by attendees in the audio.”
- “List the key arguments or points made by each speaker.”
- Specific Topic Focus:
- “Summarize the discussion around [specific agenda item] in the meeting.”
- “Extract all parts of the audio where [speaker name] is discussing [topic].”
- “What were the different perspectives presented on [controversial issue] during the seminar?”
- Action Item Extraction:
- “List all the action items mentioned in the meeting and who is responsible for each.”
- “Identify any deadlines or timelines discussed for project tasks.”
- “What follow-up steps were agreed upon at the end of the meeting?”
- Feedback Analysis:
- “Summarize the overall sentiment of the feedback provided in the audio.”
- “What were the main positive points highlighted by participants?”
- “Identify any criticisms or concerns raised during the discussion.”
3. Quickly Summarizing and Learning from YouTube Tutorials
NotebookLM can help you quickly grasp the content of YouTube tutorials, saving time and enhancing learning.
Steps:
- Add YouTube Link: In NotebookLM, add a source by pasting the link to the YouTube tutorial video.
- NotebookLM Processes Video: NotebookLM can process YouTube videos, often using transcripts to understand the content.
- Engage with Chat for Learning: Use the chat feature to ask questions and get summaries of the tutorial content.
Prompts for YouTube Tutorial Learning:
- General Understanding:
- “Summarize the main steps of this tutorial.”
- “Explain the key concepts taught in this video in simple terms.”
- “Provide a high-level overview of what this tutorial is about.”
- Step-by-Step Instructions:
- “List the steps required to [achieve tutorial goal] as demonstrated in the video.”
- “What are the first three steps in this tutorial, and why are they important?”
- “Provide detailed instructions for [specific task] as shown in the video.”
- Clarification and Deeper Dive:
- “Explain [specific term or concept] as used in this tutorial.”
- “What are the prerequisites for following this tutorial effectively?”
- “Are there any common mistakes to avoid when following these instructions, according to the video?”
- Application and Extension:
- “Suggest some practical applications of the skills learned in this tutorial.”
- “What are some advanced techniques or further learning steps recommended after mastering this tutorial?”
- “How does this tutorial compare to other approaches for [task/skill]?”
4. Creating Reading Materials for Students from Papers, Articles, and News Links
NotebookLM can assist educators in creating concise and focused reading materials for students by synthesizing information from various online sources.
Steps:
- Create a New Notebook for Readings: Start a new NotebookLM notebook specifically for creating student readings.
- Add Source Links: Input links to papers, articles, news websites, or any online content you want to include in the readings.
- Use Prompts to Synthesize and Format: Use prompts to guide NotebookLM in creating summaries, key point lists, or question sets based on the linked content.
- Organize and Refine: Review and organize the output from NotebookLM. You might need to refine the formatting or add your own instructional content.
Prompts for Creating Student Readings:
- For Summarized Readings:
- “Create a summarized reading document for students based on these links, focusing on [learning objective].”
- “Generate a concise reading material from these sources, highlighting the core concepts of [topic].”
- “Prepare a student-friendly summary of the information in these articles about [event/phenomenon].”
- For Key Point Extraction:
- “Extract the 5 most important points from each of these articles to create a student reading list.”
- “Identify key takeaways from these sources that students should focus on.”
- “Create a bullet-point list of essential concepts from these readings for student review.”
- For Question Generation:
- “Generate 5 discussion questions for students based on these readings.”
- “Create a set of comprehension questions to guide students through these materials.”
- “Develop questions that encourage critical thinking based on the information in these links.”
- For Differentiated Readings:
- “Create a simplified summary of these articles suitable for introductory-level students.”
- “Develop an advanced reading version from these sources for students seeking deeper understanding, including additional context and challenging questions.”
5. Creating Podcasts from Reading Materials Using Custom Buttons
Google NotebookLM offers a powerful way to transform written reading materials into engaging podcasts, especially when leveraging custom buttons. This allows educators to efficiently create audio content from articles and papers, perfect for learning on the go – while running, cycling, or even during a shower. By setting up a custom button, you can automate the script generation process, making podcast creation faster and more accessible.
Steps to Create Podcasts with Custom Buttons:
- Prepare Reading Material in NotebookLM: First, ensure your reading material (summaries, key points, or full articles) is in your NotebookLM notebook. You can use the methods described in section 4 to create or upload these materials.
- Access Custom Button Feature: Look for the “Custom Buttons” or “Automations” feature within your NotebookLM interface. The exact location might vary slightly depending on updates to NotebookLM. This feature allows you to create buttons that perform automated actions based on your defined prompts.
- Create a New Custom Button for Podcast Generation: Click on the option to create a new custom button. You will need to configure this button by providing a prompt that instructs NotebookLM on how to generate the podcast script.
- Enter a Podcast Script Generation Prompt: Choose a prompt from the examples below (or adapt them to your needs) and enter it into the prompt configuration field for your custom button. These prompts are designed to instruct NotebookLM to convert your notebook content into a podcast script format automatically when you click the button.
- Test Your Custom Button: After configuring the button, select the notebook containing your reading material and click your newly created custom podcast button. NotebookLM will then process the content and generate a podcast script based on your chosen prompt.
Custom Button Prompts for Podcast Script Generation:
Here are example prompts you can directly use or adapt when configuring your custom button for podcast creation:
- Basic Podcast Script (Conversational):
- Prompt: “Create a podcast script from the content of this notebook. Format it as a conversation between two speakers discussing the material in an engaging and accessible way.”
- Podcast Script with Intro/Outro & Key Takeaways:
- Prompt: “Generate a podcast script that summarizes the key points from the readings in this notebook. Structure it with a brief introduction, a discussion of the main ideas in a conversational style between two speakers, and a short concluding summary. Aim for a podcast format that is easy to listen to while exercising.”
- Podcast Script Focused on Learning Objectives:
- Prompt: “Create a podcast script from this notebook that focuses on [insert specific learning objective, e.g., ‘the causes of demand change’]. Format it as a dialogue between two educators explaining these concepts to students in a podcast format suitable for mobile learning during activities like running or cycling. Include questions to encourage listener reflection.” (Remember to replace the bracketed example with your actual learning objective.)
- Podcast Script with Tone Customization:
- Prompt: “Generate a podcast script from the content of this notebook. Use a [insert tone, e.g., ‘casual and friendly’, ‘formal and academic’, ‘enthusiastic and engaging’] tone. Format it as a conversation between two speakers and structure it for easy listening while doing activities like walking or showering.” (Adapt the tone to your preference.)
- Podcast Script with Speaker Roles:
- Prompt: “Create a podcast script from this notebook’s content, formatted as a conversation between ‘Speaker 1: [Speaker 1 Role, e.g., ‘Lead Researcher’]’ and ‘Speaker 2: [Speaker 2 Role, e.g., ‘Research Assistant’]’. Ensure the dialogue is engaging and summarizes the key information for listeners who might be walking or running.” (Customize the speaker roles as needed.)
Enhance Learning on the Go:
By using custom buttons to create podcast scripts from your reading materials in NotebookLM, learnning in a flexible and engaging way. These podcasts are ideal for mobile learning, allowing us to make productive use of time spent walking, running, commuting, or even relaxing. This approach transforms traditional reading assignments into accessible audio experiences, catering to diverse learning styles and busy schedules.
Cheat Sheet
| Feature/Use Case | Description | Key Steps | Example Prompts/Tips |
| Literature Reviews | Analyze & synthesize research papers & articles. | 1. Upload PDFs/DOCs or add links. 2. Explore initial analysis. 3. Use chat with prompts. | – “Summarize main arguments of [Source].” – “Identify recurring themes on [topic].” – Select sources for focused summaries. |
| Meeting/Seminar Summaries (Audio) | Summarize audio recordings of meetings & seminars. | 1. Upload audio files. 2. Review transcription (optional). 3. Chat for summaries. | – “Summarize main topics.” – “Key decisions & action items?” – “List participant questions.” – “Summarize feedback.” |
| YouTube Tutorial Learning | Quickly learn from YouTube tutorials. | 1. Add YouTube links. 2. Chat for summaries and explanations. | – “Summarize main steps.” – “Explain [concept].” – “Step-by-step instructions for [task].” – “Avoid common mistakes.” |
| Student Reading Materials | Create concise readings for students. | 1. Add source links (papers, articles, news). 2. Use prompts to synthesize & format. | – “Create summarized reading for students.” – “Extract top 5 key points.” – “Generate discussion questions.” |
| Podcast Script Creation (Custom Button) | Automate podcast script generation. | 1. Prepare reading material in NotebookLM. 2. Create custom button. 3. Use podcast prompts for button. 4. Edit script. | – Prompts for conversational, structured, tone-specific, role-based podcasts. – Review & refine generated scripts. |