Introduction to OneNote 2016: Complete User Guide

Overview

Introduction to OneNote 2016 is a practical, workflow-driven guide that shows how to capture, organize, and retrieve information using OneNote’s core features. Rather than listing commands, the content focuses on repeatable methods for structuring notebooks, creating scannable pages, and turning notes into actionable resources. Readers learn how to combine formatting, tags, multimedia, and ink tools to build searchable, review-ready notebooks for study, work, and personal projects.

Learning outcomes

• Design intuitive notebook hierarchies—sections and pages—that reflect projects, courses, or reference libraries.
• Create clean, scannable notes using templates, styles, and layout best practices to speed review and retrieval.
• Embed and manage multimedia (images, screen clippings, audio, and links) to preserve context and enrich content.
• Use tags, search, and filters to prioritize tasks, build checklists, and locate key information quickly.
• Leverage drawing, handwriting, and ink-to-text features for annotations, sketches, and math input.
• Apply review and history tools to track edits, recover previous versions, and support collaborative note-taking.

Why this guide helps

The guide translates OneNote’s features into real-world routines: study notebooks that pair lecture notes with embedded readings and audio; meeting hubs that capture agendas, decisions, and action-item owners; and personal trackers that combine templates, images, and tags to monitor progress. Emphasis on examples and short exercises helps learners test organizational choices and refine a system that fits their workflow.

How to use this guide

Work through introductory sections on the interface and notebook setup if you’re new to OneNote. Practice by creating sample pages, applying consistent sectioning, tagging action items, and embedding a clipping or image to validate your structure. Intermediate users can jump to drawing tools, review workflows, and history features to improve collaboration, archiving, and recovery practices.

Suggested hands-on projects

• Semester notebook: Create a course-based structure, tag key concepts for quick revision, and attach readings or recorded audio to build a study-ready resource.
• Meeting hub: Standardize an agenda template, capture minutes, assign tags for owners and priorities, and link follow-up items to related pages.
• Personal project tracker: Use templates and clippings to map milestones, store resources, and track progress with visual notes and checklists.

Key takeaways

OneNote 2016 pairs a flexible hierarchy (notebooks, sections, pages) with powerful tagging, search, and multimedia support. The guide emphasizes practical steps to move users from basic capture to efficient, searchable, and shareable note systems. Prioritizing structure, consistent tags, and simple templates delivers the biggest gains in productivity and retrieval.

Who should read this

Best suited for beginners and intermediate users—students, educators, business professionals, and anyone seeking applied, task-oriented instruction. It works well for self-study and as a companion while actively using the app to build and refine personal or team note systems.

Next steps

Begin with setup and core formatting, pick a hands-on project from the guide, and iterate: test searches, adjust tags, and refine templates until notes become a reliable, searchable knowledge base. Repeated practice reveals which features—tags, templates, multimedia, or ink—best support your daily workflow.