author: Sonke Ahrens # Chapter 5 Zettlekasten manual: 1. Bibliographical - literature notes - index cards stored in boxes - references on one side - notes on the other 2. Personal - one side of letter paper - forces condensing of idea - can create extended notes - idea generation - focus on connection w/ other contexts - reactions - stream of consciousness - Not a personal Wikipedia - Compensates for limitation of brain # Chapter 6 If large enough, can be `ctrl+c`, `ctrl+v` to create a rough draft - String ideas into text - Don't worry about editing - done later - Importance of externalizing ideas - ensures understanding of concepts # Chapter 7 *What do you need to do?* Has focus on research, writing papers Steps: 1. Take [[Fleeting Notes|fleeting notes]] - write on anything, anywhere - process later - can even be a zettlekasten entry 2. Make [[Literature Notes|literature notes]] - notes about content, source - things i'd forget, use in own thinking/writing - use own words, selective - even more so about quotes - use bibliographical notes for that 3. [[Permanent Notes|Permanent notes]] - compile fleeting + literature notes - literature notes become bibliography notes - think about connections to current tasks - use other entries as basis - write as if writing for someone else - academic 4. Add permanent notes to zettlekasten - file behind related notes - software usually does this - add link to index map of content 5. Perform research within the system - note what's missing, what questions - read more to fill holes - add notes that inspire me - use instead of brainstorming - is a growing, living thing 6. Continue editing notes into drafts - notice if opinions change, further insights developed in processs 7. Proofread, continue Take notes regardless of relevance to current project/task # Chapter 8 *What do you need to have?* [[Space Pen]] - demonstrates importance of simplicity discussion of methods - of taking notes - margins, circling, shapes, highlighting, etc. - journals - apps Ensure your workflow works Good tools != good workflow Zettlekasten is a store of objective information - more difficult for brain to store long-term # Chapter 9 [website](takesmartnotes.com) Four tools: 1. [[Something to write with, write on]] 2. [[Somewhere to record references]] 3. [[Zettlekasten]] 4. Editor # Chapter 10 > "Tools are only as good as your ability to work with them" - Tools require meaningful thought and use if utility is to be derived # Chapter 11 The 4 Underlying Principles 1. [[Writing is the only thing that matters]] # Chapter 12 2. [[Simplicity is paramount]] System for deliberately searching for information - Students + academics take notes like antiquated, pre-Maclane shippers - handle ideas in ways that make immediate sense - underline interesting senses - margin notes - Requires brain to remember where/when notes were written down - Text conceptualized independently from the notes - Brainstorming after the fact instead of thinking in the moment Zettlekasten - System for ideas we have already forgotten - rewrite notes - reference them when work reminds me of something “What topic does this note belong to?” → “What context do I want to stumble upon this note in?” - Use of links allows discovery of applications in different contexts - Brain does initial work of finding first note - [[Zettlekasten]] reacquaints us w/ ideas already forgotten - Brain focuses on *thinking* instead of *remembering* - [[Zettlekasten]] is shipping container of the academic world - different ideas not compartmentalized Don't focus on in-between steps - highlighting - underlining - excerpt writing Focus on insight that can be published - connections - questions Becomes more valuable over time as notes are added - remember [[garbage in, garbage out]] Carrying around a notebook - Pro - nothing is left unrecorded - Cons - [[Fleeting Notes|fleeting notes]] are treated as [[Permanent Notes|permanent]] - critical mass never reached, becomes messy - ideas diluted by other notes - strict-chronological order - no way to shuffle pages Separate these notes 1. [[Fleeting Notes]] 2. [[Permanent Notes]] 3. [[Project Notes]] Importance of same format Don't focus on projects when taking notes - counter-intuitive - would think that focusing on project would be more productive # Chapter 13