How can one confirm if the notes contain a valid encoded message?

To confirm if the notes contain a valid encoded message, attempting to decode sections and looking for coherent language is the most effective method. When you decode parts of the message, you can assess whether the output makes sense semantically and syntactically. A valid encoded message should reveal intelligible words or sentences that retain meaning when decoded, indicating that it was constructed with a systematic encoding method. If coherent language arises from the decoding efforts, it serves as evidence that the notes indeed encapsulate a meaningful message.

Other methods, such as checking for typos, summarizing content, or reading in reverse order, may not effectively indicate the presence of an encoded message. Typos might arise in any text and do not relate directly to whether a message is encoded; summarizing could strip away vital nuances of the original message; and reading in reverse order typically does not facilitate understanding encoded information unless specifically designed as a reversible cipher. Thus, focusing on decoding sections and seeking coherent language is the most reliable approach to confirm the validity of the encoded message.