Reference notes
Hi, I'm new here
Starting and learning about zettelkasten
To date, I'm using a bi-directional link software to write my literature and evergreen (Permanent) notes. In these notes, I keep the atomicity principle, no more than 2 or 3 sentences, my own words
My main question is about my reference notes. These are my first step on my zettelkasten. These are extract highlights from books and scientific papers PDFs. One note per article or per book chapter then it can have many sentences or even pages. Should I input these reference notes on the same bi-directional link software?
Sometimes I think input these notes on a different app (for example, Evernote) like I have two "boxes". Evernote can generate a link that I can put on my literature notes. What do you think? Appreciate all comments
Howdy, Stranger!
Comments
Welcome to the forums.
My workflow around books and PDFs is to extract highlights and annotations as a single document and paste them into a single note. This will become my structure note for the subject of the book or PDF. It looks rough, crude, completely plagiarized, and disorganized.
It then gets refactored (edited in place) into atomic notes containing my ideas. Each atomic note gets a link, and it is placed on the working note, which eventually will become the structure note. As I progress and the original highlights and annotations are processed, the "reference notes," as you would categorize them, disappear, becoming refactored in my own language. There is no need to save them or link to them. They are someone else's thoughts, not my own. Each atomic note is referenced with the correct citation. I use the MLA citation style. Links to the book or PDF are embedded appropriately in each atomic note.
I now use Zotero reference manager as a repository for PDFs and other materials. I've used Evernote to store PDFs and used its ability to create a link used in a structure note or applicable atomic notes. But I've never felt the need to save highlights.
Here are a couple of screenshots.
The first is the outcome of my processing what originally was just a dump of my highlights and became a refactored structure note or the book Nerves and Numbers. The second screenshot is of the note Prominence Effect [[201912270730]] that should how the referencing works. For this particular book, I have no other reference material stored.
Will Simpson
My zettelkasten is for my ideas, not the ideas of others. I don’t want to waste my time tinkering with my ZK; I’d rather dive into the work itself. My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon, I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time.
kestrelcreek.com
Thanks for reply, Will
As my "Main Box" is my bi-directional link software, considering your workflow, there is no sense to keep my "Reference Notes" on the same app.
Maybe the reason i prefer to keep the note with my original highlights, it's because that "reference note" is to me a summary of the source in the native language of the paper, most of time English, once my "literature note" i write in my own words and my native language, Portuguese.
Anyway, interesting you don't link the original source, just cite. I use Zotero too, but to date, just as reference manager in Microsoft Word. Can you "cite as you write" with Archive using Zotero ? How do you do it ?
Thanks for sharing the pictures of you notes. Based on the links of your notes, Do you use only the "Zettel" ID (YYMMDDHHMM) to identify your notes ? I use the "Zettel" ID along with a short title for the note. Can you comment about this ?
What is the name of your "bi-directional link software?"
It must be hard switching back and forth between two languages. I have problems with just one!
I think you'll find that over time you'll not look back at the original highlights in "reference notes," being more comfortable in your notes drafted in your native language. If you find that you are referring to these "reference notes," at all, then I'd suggest that the notes you created were not complete and may want to refactor them.
This citation is to a physical book. There is no link except maybe bookshelf:4/23. Today, if this were a PDF, I'd still only cite it and store the PDF in Zotero with the citation. But I used to store PDFs in Evernote, in which case I'd place a link.
See the bottom of this note.
Not the way you can with Word. I run Zotero at the same time and use Zotero shortcuts that place citations in the system clipboard and then switch back to The Archive and paste. I don't do a large number of formal citations—usually only one citation per note.
Structure notes are constructed listing the associated atomic notes creating a logical grouping, in this case, grouped by chapter. Then I provide some context/narrative expanding on the title or the reason for the link. You might not be familiar with this format. In this example, the atomic notes are in the format Title UUID link:
The link is just the UUID. But I put the titles alongside most links. This way, when in the future I change the titles, the links are not broken. I'm not sure I've explained this well.
Will Simpson
My zettelkasten is for my ideas, not the ideas of others. I don’t want to waste my time tinkering with my ZK; I’d rather dive into the work itself. My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon, I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time.
kestrelcreek.com
Roam Research
LOL
Probably. Actually, I'm starting a few months with zettelkasten and thought the "reference notes" could be important.
Yes, you've explained it very well. Actually, I do the same ... UUID followed by the title, but both together on the note ID. With Roam, if you change the title the links are updated, then the links are not broken. But sometimes I think to consider another app to work offline and the data stored locally.
Thanks, I think you clarify many things
My Best Regards