Processing external sources in the Zettelkasten method
Core Idea: Literature notes capture key ideas from external sources in your own words, forming a bridge between raw input and your permanent note collection.
Key Elements
- Created while reading or consuming content
- Written in your own words (not direct quotes)
- Focused on what's relevant to your interests and projects
- Contains bibliographic information
- Serves as raw material for permanent notes
- Kept separate from your permanent note collection
Creation Process
- Read/consume source material actively
- Capture key ideas and insights
- Summarize in your own words
- Note bibliographic details
- Consider how it connects to your existing knowledge
- Tag or categorize for future reference
Characteristics of Effective Literature Notes
- Concise and focused on essential points
- Includes page numbers and specific references
- Captures your thoughts and questions about the material
- Maintains clear connection to the source
- Selective rather than comprehensive
- Organized by source rather than topic
Relationship to Other Note Types
- Serves as intermediary between raw input and permanent notes
- More refined than fleeting notes
- Less integrated than permanent notes
- Preserves context that might be lost in permanent notes
- Maintains direct connection to external sources
Connections
- Related Concepts: Permanent Notes (next step), Fleeting Notes (different capture purpose)
- Broader Context: Zettelkasten Method (the system they belong to)
- Applications: Research Process (capturing sources), Academic Writing (reference material)
- Implementation Approaches: Reference Management (complementary system), Source Notes (alternative term)
References
- "How to Take Smart Notes" by Sönke Ahrens
- Nicholas Luhmann's original Zettelkasten methodology
- Callum/WanderLoots YouTube content on literature notes in knowledge management
#zettelkasten #literature-notes #PKM #reference-management
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