Is "Scoping the subject" a counter-Zettelkasten approach?
Hi, there,
My question is if I wants to learn more about Type 2 Diabetes Management, and I already know some knowledge. Then I start to write an outline with possible subtopics to explore and to check if I'm confident on these subtopics and concepts. Then it does not sound like Zettelkasten right? But I did think this approach make more sense to me in terms of studying a subject.
But if you guys have other suggestions, please feel free to speak, I just get confused on when to use Zettelkasten and what is it really.
Howdy, Stranger!
Comments
Your outline will be your structure note
Some call this an amalgam method - where you first throw everything in one doc and organise it afterwards
Later you can convert items in outline into separate notes, making a links from the outline
If you have predefined materials you want to learn, then ZK might not give you good learning/time ratio (time spent on writing and manually linking everything could be spent on doing the work with your actual memory and thinking).
If you want to learn a limited amount of materals, better use learning techniques, SRS etc. Then just form your zettels after you learned the material (otherwise there may be temptation to make zettels out of everything).
It's fine, why not.
We are not forced to always follow the same path. From the bottom , or an unplanned way.
My idea is that building our zettekasten model is building a toolbox and learning why and when using all the tools we know, rather than always using the same tool thinking it's the only that can be used.
@Ydkd brings up an important idea. You have to be careful that this type of top-down approach doesn't lead to the "temptation to make zettels out of everything." I can speak from experience. The ZK method encourages finding a reliable and interesting source, such as a paper or book, to begin exploring type 2 diabetes management. Read, note, reread, and look to the references or bibliography to set your sights deeper. This approach emphasizes learning and discovery without preconceived ideas.
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
Hey, I think there isn’t one "right" way to use Zettelkasten.Your idea to make an outline is a great way to organize knowledge.Zettelkasten focuses more on building connections between notes You could start with the outline then turn it into notes BTW, remember to keep notes short and clear, it’s easier to create links that way.It was key for me. Good luck!
https://remontujemy.net.pl/
Your approach sounds more like structured outlining, which is great for studying a subject deeply. Zettelkasten, on the other hand, is more about creating small, interconnected notes that help build knowledge over time through associations. Use Zettelkasten when you want to explore ideas flexibly and connect concepts across topics. Both methods are valid—just choose what works best for your learning style!
Yes and no.
The Zettelkasten encourages taking notes on and around a topic, branching off in partly unexpected directions and creating unexpected connections. If you this and make a network graph of your Zettelkasten it will typically look like a connected web or chaotic network. It helps you thinking "out of the box" as the cliche has it.
Scoping is typically something you'd do through a structurenote (or outline): it creates a (mostly linear, simple) path through that chaotic network, connecting a subset of its notes. Such a path can of course result in a paper, a book, or just an outline for systematic study.
If you only confine yourself to a certain scope in the beginning, you may miss the unexpected connections (and therefor miss learning opportunities). If you do not make scoped structurenotes you will not be productive.
In practice - at least with me - it happens a lot that I start with a certain scope, that is, a preliminary structurenote based on the limited knowledge I have of a subject. That one then gets "Zettelkastened" and it branches out over time, sometimes far outside of its original scope. Then, when I have learned enough, I need to make a new structurenote with a new scope. Rinse and repeat.
You may want to read Sascha Fast's blog posts on structurenotes.