In real life, detective's notebooks are nothing special: a small spiral-bound booklet of blank paper which can be easily carried in a pocket and used for jotting notes at a crime scene. A more in-depth "detective's notebook"--containing tidbits on forensic evidence, fingerprinting and other tricks of the trade--can make for a fun creative exercise and give you a powerful tool in your (real or pretend) hunt for criminals of all varieties. It hinges more on knowledge than equipment, and requires only a concise use of the space provided.
Instructions
1. Research various forms of forensic crime detection, as well as important detective skills such as monitoring a house. Cover key areas such as the different types of fingerprints, ways to lift them from a crime scene, signs of a given cause of death, and the proper way to tail someone. Basic research can be done on the web, or by using general information books such as "Scene of the Crime" by Anne Wingate and "Modus Operandi" by Mauro V. Corvasce and Joseph R. Paglino. Countless more in-depth texts exist covering every aspect of detective work.
2. Organize your research into basic categories: fingerprinting, ballistics, plaster casting, surveillance techniques, and so on. When you put them in your notebook, you want to access them easily, so proper organization of the information is key.
3. Reduce your research to a few key bullet points: the most important facts conveyed in a few concise, easy to grasp sentences. Think of it as studying for a test or making a speech. You want the basics to evoke more thorough details in your mind, not a comprehensive coverage of everything.
4. Assign each category to a page in your notebook and write down each bullet point for that category. Label each page in clear lettering at the top so you can spot it quickly when you need. Ideally, all the bullet points for each category should fit on a single page; if you have more than one page worth of bullet points, start a new category on the first blank page rather than filling up the remaining space on the last one.
5. Add any reference diagrams, photographs or visual aids to your note book as appropriate. This can include basic images of fingerprint types, crime scene photos detailing the basics of a given crime, the format for a three-man tail and the like. They're not entirely necessary, but if you think they will be useful, they make a fine addition. Make sure you place them in their appropriate category so you can access them quickly when you need to.
