4.4Note-Taking Strategies During Sessions

Taking notes while actively testing is the hardest part of SBTM. Here are practical approaches:

The Timestamp Approach

Write brief notes with timestamps every 2-3 minutes:

14:00 - Starting. Environment verified. Opening upload page.
14:03 - Uploaded test.svg (200KB). Accepted. Preview renders correctly.
14:05 - Uploaded test.webp (150KB). Accepted. Preview area shows blank.
14:07 - Checking network tab. No errors on upload. Thumbnail endpoint returns 404.
14:10 - Filing bug for .webp thumbnail issue.
14:15 - Trying 0-byte file. Created empty.txt (0 bytes).
14:17 - Upload succeeds (unexpected). Download link appears.
14:18 - Clicking download link. Server returns 500. Filing bug.

The Observation/Question/Bug (OQB) Approach

Categorize notes as you write them:

[O] .svg upload works correctly with preview
[O] .webp upload accepted but thumbnail area is blank
[Q] Is .webp thumbnail generation a separate service?
[B] Download endpoint returns 500 for 0-byte files
[O] Error message for .exe rejection is user-friendly
[Q] What file types are on the allowlist?

Tools for Note-Taking

Tool	Pros	Cons
Plain text file	Fast, no setup, version-controllable	No screenshots inline
OneNote / Notion	Rich formatting, screenshots, sharing	Requires switching windows
Screen recording + notes	Complete record of actions	Large files, time to review
Rapid Reporter (free tool)	Designed for SBTM, keyboard-driven	Learning curve
TestBuddy	Built for exploratory sessions	Paid tool