Zettelkasten-style note

References

• zettelkasten.de

Backlinks

• Atomic Notes
  • This concept of atomic notes is heavily prevalent in zettelkasten-style notes
• Prefer notes that describe a relationship
  • When writing permanent zettelkasten-style notes in order to build an understanding over time, preferring notes which describe a relationship will explore deeply a link between two or more ideas.
• Note-taking system
  • A key note-taking system is zettelkasten
• Find a way to collect contextual backlinks in your notes
  • When keeping permanent zettelkasten-style notes this lets you see other notes which link to this note and, importantly, the context in which they link.
• Let 'noun' notes collect backlinks for a while
  • When you first define a permanent zettelkasten-style note for a noun (usually a 'thing' or a concept in isolation) try to write about it Prefering notes which explore a relationship. This lets the new noun note act as a hub for not only the ideas about it but also a hub for connections to other concepts. You'll need to find a way to collect contextual backlinks for maximum impact.
• Notes should be densely linked
  • When writing permanent zettelkasten-style notes then composing notes is done by making links between them. Creating relationships between ideas builds context, and understanding requires an idea to have context.
• Discover incidental and essential complexity by keeping a zettelkasten
  • Iterating on complex ideas allows us to find simplicity. One way of structuring your writing in order to allow this iteration is by building a permanant note collection such as a zettelkasten.
• Start notes with context
  • When writing permanent zettelkasten-style notes, begin with a sentence or two defining how this concept fits into the world (a note expresses a concept). You'll notice most pages on wikipedia doing the same.
• Title notes imperatively or declaratively
  • When writing titles for zettelkasten-style notes aim to use either an imperative or a declarative title.
• Title notes to cover the full content of the note
  • A zettelkasten-style note's title becomes your main interface to it once it is part of your collection, so it's important to title your note well. A note title should cover every aspect of the notes content without feeling strange.