A clear structure increases readability. With uniform formatting of all recorded minutes, participants get used to the fixed structure and will be able to adapt quickly in the future. It can therefore be helpful if you create a template for minute takers. The following standard information belongs in every protocol:
The header: The header includes the place, date, and names of the participants. The meeting topic serves as a heading.
The main part: Here, you reproduce the discussed topics. In a result protocol, each thematic point is given its own paragraph. In this paragraph, you summarize arguments and debates on this topic. Means of visualization, on the other hand, belong in the appendix. You should also include counter-arguments to certain statements in the main part – especially if they raise questions that might be important for follow-up sessions.
The conclusion: At the end, you summarize the results and decisions of the meetings again. If tasks have been distributed, name the person in charge. Here, you also have room for an outlook for the next meeting. You indicate when the next meeting is scheduled. If appointments have been made, make a note of this. In the next session, these notes help document important progress. At the end of the meeting, the minutes usually include space for the recording clerk and meeting chairs’ signatures.
The Appendix: The appendix includes handouts of lectures, slides from presentations or documents with facts and figures on the subject, which clearly present information in the minutes.
If you are writing a transcript, you should also adhere to the stylistic conventions. Write objectively and concisely. Emotional evaluations or personal comments should not be included when taking the minutes. You should not write in the first-person perspective either. With quotations, on the other hand, you can emphasize significant arguments.
For resolutions and official motions you use direct speech, all other statements are written in indirect speech. Usually you take the minutes in the present tense, in some cases the past tense is allowed – but make sure you stay consistent whichever one you use! Avoid mental leaps and keep the minutes clear and understandable.