The FUN and EFFICIENT note-taking system I use in my PhD

Summary

In this video, Morgan, a fifth-year PhD candidate, introduces the Zettelkasten method, an effective knowledge management system for note-taking and idea organization. Originally used by Nicholas Luman in the 1960s, the method is enhanced by modern software like Obsidian, which automates the linking of thoughts. Morgan shares core principles of the system, including writing regularly, valuing all knowledge, making notes on complete thoughts, and interconnecting ideas. She demonstrates how to use Obsidian to transform fleeting notes into permanent ones, connect them with existing knowledge, and leverage the system for efficient writing and critical thinking.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Morgan, a fifth-year PhD candidate, found traditional note-taking methods insufficient for her doctoral studies.
• 🔍 She sought a system to store and access vast amounts of information, interconnected for creative and critical thinking.
• 📚 Morgan's undergraduate note-taking involved highlighting and margin notes, which became cumbersome for research.
• 💡 She discovered the Zettelkasten method, a knowledge management system used by Nicholas Luman in the 1960s.
• 💻 The method is enhanced by modern software like Obsidian, which automates the linking of ideas, surpassing traditional paper-based systems.
• ✍️ The Zettelkasten method emphasizes writing in your own words to capture thoughts effectively.
• 🧠 It views all knowledge as valuable, not just academic sources, encouraging a non-hierarchical organization of ideas.
• 🔗 Each note should represent a single, irreducible thought, interconnected with existing knowledge for a robust network.
• 📝 Morgan demonstrated how to use Obsidian to transform fleeting notes into permanent notes and connect them within the system.
• 🔑 The power of Zettelkasten lies in the quantity and quality of connections, facilitating easy retrieval and synthesis of ideas for writing.

Q & A

What was the main issue Morgan faced with their note-taking method during undergraduate studies?

Morgan's issue was that the way they took notes in undergrad wasn't sufficient for their PhD program, as it didn't allow for storing and easily accessing large amounts of interconnected information when writing papers.

Why did Morgan start looking for a new note-taking method?

Morgan needed a method to store huge amounts of information that was easily accessible and fully interconnected with their other knowledge to facilitate creative and critical thinking in their academic work.

What is the Zettelkasten method and who originally used it?

The Zettelkasten method is a knowledge management system used for note-taking and organizing thoughts. It was originally used by Nicholas Luman in the 1960s.

What software does Morgan use for their Zettelkasten system and why is it advantageous?

Morgan uses Obsidian, a software that helps in connecting thoughts and organizing notes digitally. It's advantageous because it automates the linking process between notes, making it easier to manage and access the interconnected knowledge.

What are the four core principles of the Zettelkasten method that Morgan mentions?

The four core principles are: 1) Write all the time in your own words. 2) Everything is knowledge, not just academic sources. 3) Thought is the basic unit of knowledge, making notes irreducible yet complete. 4) Knowledge is interconnected, so every note should connect to existing knowledge.

How does Morgan capture fleeting notes and what is the purpose of these notes?

Morgan captures fleeting notes by jotting down thoughts, ideas, and information that occur to them throughout the day. The purpose is to later transform these fleeting notes into permanent notes within the Zettelkasten system.

What is the process Morgan follows to take permanent notes from fleeting notes?

Morgan reviews each fleeting note and decides if it's important enough to be written as a permanent note. If so, they write the note in their own words, making it as irreducible as possible while still expressing a complete thought.

How does Morgan use Obsidian to connect notes and what is the benefit of this?

Morgan uses Obsidian to create links between notes, which helps in connecting thoughts and ideas. The benefit is that it creates a network of interconnected thoughts, making it easier to retrieve and use information when writing papers or essays.

What is the significance of naming notes in Morgan's Zettelkasten system?

Naming notes with unique identifiers is significant because it allows for easy retrieval and avoids confusion when linking to specific ideas within the system.

Why is it important to trust the system according to Morgan?

Trusting the system is important because the value of the Zettelkasten system increases with the number and quality of connections between notes. The more notes and connections made, the more useful the system becomes for generating and organizing ideas.

How does Morgan suggest using the Zettelkasten system for writing projects?

Morgan suggests using the Zettelkasten system by pulling out already written and connected notes for essays, arranging them in a logical order, and then focusing on connecting those thoughts to create a flowing paper.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Transitioning to Advanced Note-Taking: The Zettelkasten Method

Morgan, a fifth-year PhD candidate, discusses the inadequacy of undergraduate note-taking methods for her PhD program. She needed a system to store vast amounts of information in an accessible, interconnected manner to facilitate creative and critical thinking for her papers and dissertation. She experimented with various note-taking methods and discovered the Zettelkasten method, originally used by Nicholas Luman in the 1960s. This method is enhanced by modern software like Obsidian, which automates the linking of thoughts. Morgan emphasizes the importance of a knowledge management system and shares the core principles of Zettelkasten, which includes writing in one's own words, considering all encountered information as valuable, making notes as irreducible as possible while maintaining a complete thought, and ensuring knowledge is interconnected.

05:02

📚 Implementing Zettelkasten for Book Notes

Morgan demonstrates how to apply the Zettelkasten method when reading a book, specifically 'Punished by Rewards' by Alfie Kohn. She uses sticky notes to mark passages and ideas she wants to remember, ensuring to note the page number for future reference. She then transforms these fleeting notes into permanent notes by writing them in her own words and creating a bibliographic note for the book. The note includes the author's name, publication date, and an MLA citation. Morgan shows how to use Obsidian to create links between notes, forming a network of interconnected thoughts. She also discusses the process of taking notes from a book, turning them into individual notes, and connecting them to other relevant notes within the system.

10:02

🔗 Linking Ideas and Expanding Knowledge Networks

Morgan continues her explanation of the Zettelkasten method by focusing on how to link ideas within Obsidian. She shows the process of creating a new note from a quote in the book, rephrasing it in her own words, and naming the note to reflect its core idea. She then connects this note to other relevant notes, such as one about students being actors in the world, to create a network of related thoughts. Morgan emphasizes the importance of making connections between notes to enhance the system's value and usefulness for writing and learning. She also introduces the graph view in Obsidian, which visually represents the interconnectedness of her notes, and encourages viewers to trust the system for effective knowledge management.

15:02

🌟 Trusting the System and Embracing the Zettelkasten Journey

In the final paragraph, Morgan adds a fifth principle to the Zettelkasten method: trust the system. She explains that the value of Zettelkasten lies in the quantity and quality of connections made between notes. As more notes are added and connected, the system becomes more valuable and efficient for generating ideas and writing projects. Morgan encourages viewers to adopt the Zettelkasten method, reflecting on how it contrasts with traditional notebooks, which can become chaotic and less useful over time. She invites viewers to engage with her content, ask questions, and consider subscribing for more videos on knowledge management and learning. Morgan concludes by encouraging viewers to take fleeting notes from the video and turn them into permanent notes in their own Zettelkasten system.

Keywords

💡Zettelkasten

Zettelkasten is a German term referring to a system of knowledge management that involves capturing new information in written form and then storing it in a way that allows for easy retrieval and connection to other pieces of information. In the video, the narrator describes using the Zettelkasten method to transform note-taking into a more efficient and interconnected process, which is essential for her work as a PhD candidate in theater and performance studies.

💡Note-taking

Note-taking is the act of recording information during a lecture, while reading, or during any learning process. The video emphasizes the evolution of the narrator's note-taking practices from traditional methods used during undergraduate studies to a more sophisticated system suitable for her doctoral research. The Zettelkasten method is introduced as a solution to enhance note-taking for academic writing and critical thinking.

💡Interconnected

Interconnected refers to the state of being mutually connected or linked. In the context of the video, the narrator seeks a note-taking system where information is not isolated but part of a network that allows for the formation of associations and connections. This is a core principle of the Zettelkasten method, where every new piece of information is linked to existing knowledge, facilitating creative and critical thinking.

💡PhD Candidate

A PhD candidate is a student who is enrolled in a doctoral program and is engaged in research towards the completion of a dissertation. In the video, the narrator identifies herself as a fifth-year PhD candidate, indicating the advanced stage of her academic journey and the complexity of the research and writing tasks that necessitate an effective knowledge management system like Zettelkasten.

💡Theater and Performance Studies

Theater and Performance Studies is an academic field that examines the theory and practice of theater, performance art, and related cultural expressions. The video's narrator is a PhD candidate in this field, which requires extensive research and analysis of various performance texts and theories. The Zettelkasten method is presented as a tool that can aid in managing the vast amount of information relevant to this interdisciplinary area.

💡Knowledge Management

Knowledge management is the process of creating, sharing, using, and managing the knowledge and information of an individual or an organization. The video discusses the narrator's realization that a traditional note-taking approach is insufficient for her needs and that a knowledge management system like Zettelkasten is necessary to effectively organize and retrieve her research data.

💡Obsidian

Obsidian is a software application mentioned in the video as the tool the narrator uses to implement her Zettelkasten system digitally. It allows for the creation of interconnected notes and the easy formation of links between ideas, which is crucial for the Zettelkasten method. The narrator's preference for Obsidian highlights the role of technology in modern knowledge management practices.

💡Fleeting Notes

Fleeting notes are temporary records of thoughts, ideas, or information that occur spontaneously during the day. In the video, the narrator describes the process of capturing fleeting notes as a preliminary step in her Zettelkasten system, which are then transformed into more permanent, organized notes. This concept illustrates the dynamic nature of knowledge acquisition and the importance of immediate documentation.

💡Permanent Notes

Permanent notes are detailed, well-thought-out records of information that are intended for long-term storage and use. The video explains that after capturing fleeting notes, the narrator transforms them into permanent notes by writing in her own words and linking them to other related notes within her Zettelkasten system. This process is central to creating a robust, interconnected knowledge base.

💡Citation

Citation is the act of acknowledging the source of information used in one's work, typically following a specific referencing style. In the video, the narrator mentions including MLA citations in her notes, which is important for academic integrity and for easily locating sources when writing papers or dissertations. This practice is integrated into the Zettelkasten method to ensure that each note is properly sourced.

Highlights

Morgan, a fifth-year PhD candidate, realized the need for a more effective note-taking method for their research.

The Zettelkasten method was introduced as a solution for managing and interconnecting large amounts of information.

Nicholas Luman's Zettelkasten method from the 1960s is adapted for modern use with digital tools.

Obsidian software is Morgan's choice for implementing the Zettelkasten method digitally.

Four core principles of the Zettelkasten method were outlined: writing regularly, valuing all knowledge, considering thoughts as the basic unit, and recognizing knowledge as interconnected.

The process of making fleeting notes to capture immediate thoughts and information was explained.

Transforming fleeting notes into permanent notes involves writing in one's own words and making ideas irreducible.

Morgan demonstrates how to create a bibliographic note and link it to a book in the Obsidian software.

The importance of naming notes after single ideas for effective retrieval and connection was discussed.

Morgan shows how to connect notes within Obsidian to create a network of thought.

The graph view in Obsidian was introduced as a way to visualize the interconnectedness of notes.

A fifth principle was added: trusting the system for the accumulation of notes and connections to enhance productivity.

Morgan encourages viewers to adopt the Zettelkasten method and share their experiences or ask questions for further guidance.

The video concludes with an invitation for viewers to subscribe for more content on knowledge management and related topics.

Transcripts

hello my name is morgan and i am a fifth

year phd candidate in theater and

performance studies and when i started

my phd program i quickly realized that

the way i was taking notes in undergrad

just wasn't going to cut it for this new

program so i started looking into

different methods of note-taking that

might help me out in my phd and

specifically what i needed was a way to

store huge amounts of information so

that it was easily accessible at a later

date when i needed it to write a paper

and preferably all of that information

would be

fully interconnected with all of my

other knowledge so that i can make

surprising connections between my

thoughts and turn them into creative and

critical thinking within my papers and

especially within my dissertation but

that is kind of a big ask for a

note-taking method to do and what i was

doing in my undergrad was just

highlighting quotes in books and writing

in the margins and i would take notes on

notebooks and yes i would organize those

notes kind of with a table of contents

marking where each thing was in each

book but then when i actually went to

write a paper i would have like a stack

of five notebooks i would have to be

flipping through to see if i had written

down the thought that i wanted to use

for that paper but i couldn't even fully

remember when and where i learned that

thought and the only organizational

method was when and where i learned that

thought because you know it was

organized by the courses i was taking

not by logically where that information

belongs in my brain so i i had a bit of

a problem

and whenever i went onto youtube say to

look for a tutorial on how to take

better notes it wouldn't be a holistic

system of how to like store and organize

those notes and i now realize the piece

that i was missing was a knowledge

management system and i am so happy to

tell you that i have found a method that

works for me and i hope it will work for

you too because it is the method i'm

going to be sharing in this video the

system i'm going to be teaching you

today and then walking you through how i

use it is called the zettelkasten method

and this was originally used by nicholas

lumen in the 1960s and we are at an even

greater advantage than lumen was because

we have computers and there are so many

softwares online that you can download

to your computer and do all of the work

of connecting your thought for you

personally the software i use is called

obsidian but there's many other choices

out there so find one that works for you

i think that the settle casting makes

taking and storing notes and learning

things actually like fun and efficient

and

almost easy dare i say it yes it still

takes work but the effectiveness of this

system just makes it so much fun to keep

using the system because like you can

feel the productivity oozing out of you

before i show you the way that i use

this system for myself though i want to

give you some core principles to think

about when you're taking notes because

this system is totally malleable to suit

your needs so your system is not going

to look exactly like my system but there

are four core principles that you should

keep in mind and aim to adhere to when

you are setting up your settle casting

system so the first principle is

write all the time whenever you can

write in your own words that's how notes

are going to be stored in this system is

paragraph form writing in your own words

you can take those notes any way you

want you can even audio record those

notes if you want but the point is if

you don't write it down or speak it into

a microphone or something then you're

going to lose that knowledge in the

recesses of your brain the second core

principle you should remember is that

everything is knowledge it's not just

what is in your school books and what

your teacher says that is valuable

information it's everything you

encounter like your experiences or your

memories or your shower thoughts etc the

zettlecaston system is a

non-hierarchical way of organizing your

knowledge so it doesn't think one bit of

information is more valuable or

inherently better than any other piece

of information and you should make your

brain operate the same way the third

core principle

is that thought is the basic unit of

knowledge in this system so when you do

take a note you should think about how

to make it as irreducible as possible

and yet still one complete thought

that's going to make more sense later

but that principle is there so that you

can adhere to the fourth principle which

is your knowledge is interconnected

every time you store a note you should

be asking yourself how does this connect

to something that is already in my

subtle casten system and what do i

already know that connects back to this

your knowledge is just a network of

interconnected thoughts the power of

this system comes in the quantity and

quality of the connections between your

thoughts so now that you've got those

core principles in your head i am going

to walk you through how i use my

zettlecaston system in the obsidian

software to take notes and capture my

knowledge and connect between all of the

thought in my brain and also how to use

that to create new thought and then

create writing products based on that

thought the very first step that i take

is to make fleeting notes and this is

just how you capture bits of knowledge

and information and ideas and thought

that occurs to you over the course of

your day this can be anything it can be

a thought that popped into your head

while you're taking a walk and so you

write it down on a little notepad or

take an audio memo or it can be your

notes from lecture in my case for this

video

i am going to show you how i take notes

on a book specifically alfie cone's book

punished by rewards while i am reading a

book i actually don't physically write

out notes in my own words because i want

to be immersed in the ideas of the book

i don't want that disrupting my reading

experience so instead

i

tab up the book with little sticky notes

that are highlighting moments i want to

remember from this book because i think

i'm going to turn it into a note later

and then if there's something that just

highlighting it wouldn't suffice for the

thought that was going through my brain

i will put a larger sticky note on that

page and i will write down the thought

that i was having at that moment really

the important thing when reading a book

and taking notes is to remember the

thought you were having and why you

wanted to maybe save that idea but also

to note down where you found that idea

so that you can cite it and find it

later so for me that's easy because i've

literally put sticky notes on the page

and location where i found it but if

you're taking notes off of the book then

you'll want to write down the page

number so the second step is to take

permanent notes based on your fleeting

notes this is when you actually write

down the ideas in your own words in

paragraph form and make that idea as

irreducible as possible so once i've

tabbed up a book or just a chapter of a

book i will go through each sticky note

and i'll ask myself is this an important

enough thing that i want to write a note

about it and if it is then i'll write

the note and i'll take the sticky note

out that's especially good for library

books because i have to return this to

the library so i can't be writing in the

margins you can always write out all

your notes and then divide them up into

bite-sized thought bits later and

writing the note can be done on paper

and then transcribed into obsidian or

you can type it directly into obsidian

if you'd like

it's all totally up to you you don't

even have to use a computer ever if you

don't want to in fact nicholas lumens

subtle casting system was in a series of

slip boxes so he would write out his

note on a little cue card and he would

give it a unique identifier and then he

would slot it in his box after a

corresponding note and then he would

literally write out connections to other

little pieces of paper that were in his

boxes with their unique identifiers so

he knew where to look that seems awfully

laborious to me in an age where we do

have computers but it's up to you

let's head into my obsidian now to check

out what my subtle casting looks like so

welcome to my desktop and welcome to my

obsidian folder this is a folder that is

just housed on my computer and inside of

the folder are markdown files which is

like just a basic text file so at any

point in time i can grab any of my notes

and

print them or print my entire note

system if i want to i also have a backup

of this folder in my google drive so

that i never lose my subtle cast in

system and i will include a link in the

description where you can download

obsidian for yourself so how do i turn

my fleeting notes that i took while

reading alfie cone's book punished by

rewards and turn them into permanent

notes when you enter obsidian you can

see on the left hand side these are all

of the notes that i've taken and on the

right hand side this is where all of the

backlinks will be because obsidian helps

you connect between your notes and

creates little links so you can just

like click between all of the thoughts

that you have the first thing i do when

i want to

put a source like a book into my

obsidian is i create a note for the book

i title all of my bibliographic notes

after the last name of the author and

the date when the book was published and

then i put my mla citation right at the

top there personally because i know what

i'm going to be using these notes for

it's going to be to write papers or blog

posts or etc in the future and then

i put my first link in here and i want

to link this book to another note called

bibliography and if i control click into

that note it's just a blank note but you

can see here on the right hand side are

all of the sources that i have

referenced within my obsidian subtle

casting system so let's go back where's

the case to

this book that we're talking about today

now i go about

opening my book and turning to the first

sticky that i have in here and the first

sticky was for this quote

so i write the quote in there but of

course this quote is not in my own words

and what's the first principle of this

system it's writing in your own words is

the only thing that matters so i'm gonna

go

and turn this into

my own words there it is i now have a

note my note says

while university should be a place where

students discover who they are and what

they are interested in oftentimes they

are instead performing for their

professors to get the grade so they turn

into the people they think their

professors want them to be instead of

creative critical thinkers in their own

right in this way and then i link i'm

going to link the book because this is

actually going to be its own separate

note from the bibliographic note so i'm

i'm actually linking to this book so

that i know where it came from directly

so cohn 1993 writes grades reduce a

student's sense of control over his own

fate and can induce a blind conformity

to others wishes and then i put the page

number so that i know where i got this

from and i don't even have to reference

the book again the next time i want to

use this in a piece of writing so that's

my entire note

and then i ask myself what is this note

about because it needs a name i'm going

to create a new note

the way in obsidian you create new notes

is you go

double square bracket and then you put

the name of the note in there so

what is this note about i think the

thesis of this note is something like

grades inhibit students from becoming

independent thinkers i'm going to write

that down

the reason this is kind of grayed out

right now is because i haven't actually

turned it into a note so i'm going to

take my writing there

get it out of the bibliographic note

and put it into

this note and there we go

there's my note it's written in my own

words it's really small it expresses a

single idea and i've actually named the

note after that single idea you don't

have to name it after the idea that's

just what i do you can use like a time

date stamp as long as all of the names

of your notes are unique identifiers so

you're not pointing to multiple places

at once and then if we look at the right

hand side you can see that there's one

other note that has reference to this

note and it's just the bibliographic

note but that's not enough that's not a

good enough connection just the book it

came from that's not connecting to my

other knowledge so i'm gonna think to

myself what other ideas might this be

related to and i actually took a note

the other day about how students are

actors in the world

in their own right and that's kind of

related to this let's find that note uh

students students are actors in the

world there it is

i think the direct connection that i

want to make is that it is important

that students make their own choices in

school because students are actors in

the world so if they're just making

decisions based on what they think their

professors want then that's the

professor getting to act in the world

through the student that students are

real people

and what they do in school matters in

the real world so

now i have a direct connection to this

other idea from a different book let's

click on it

students are actors in the world

okay this is actually an idea

that i found in a book

by eternity mardis that was published in

2020

and it was an idea found on page 25. she

also points out that students get

absolved of faults because university

isn't the real world

so i can see there's also a direct

connection to these other ideas and then

on the right hand side i can see oh my

goodness there are even more notes that

connect to this idea that students are

actors in the real world so maybe i'm

writing a paper about this idea and i

need i need more things like um

how there are consequences to dismissing

the ideas of students as

not real because it's part of school so

i'm gonna click into that note because

it's clearly relevant and that's related

to this other text that i haven't made a

link to yet but i should

oh it's connected the idea that student

youth aren't taken seriously etc etc

let's go back to our main note that

we're working with personally within my

bibliographic note i keep all of the

notes that

are connected to it i will go through

the entire book looking at every single

sticky that i stuck in there and turning

it into notes within this document

sometimes i will stick all of my quotes

and notes into this document and then

slowly turn them into their separate

notes and then go to the process of

connecting those things or you can do it

one by one like i just showed you now

sometimes i will spend entire sessions

in my zettlecaston system just making

connections between notes that haven't

been connected yet the last thing that

i'll show you in obsidian which is just

kind of a cool thing i think is

the graph view you can see there's so

many connections that i'm making between

so much thought it's all interconnected

and it looks like a mess when you look

at this network and these nodes

in this graph view and it is a bit of a

mess and that's what makes it so hard to

write things and remember things without

a system like zettelkasten helping you

out because all of the connections

between everything that i know are

already made so when i go to write an

essay on anything i've already written

down that thought and i've already

connected that thought to 20 other

thoughts and i can just pull those notes

out of my subtle casting they're written

in my own words already and i can plop

them into an essay and just put them in

an order that makes sense to me then all

i have to do is the work of connecting

those thoughts and making the paper flow

but the writing's already been done the

writing's been happening throughout all

of my classes and all of my readings all

of the time i think the only thing i

want to leave you with now is one last

fifth principle that i'm going to tack

on here at the end and that is to trust

the system if you just take one note in

your zettle castan nothing magical will

happen it is in the number and quality

of connections that your settle cast in

is going to work for you and that's one

of the big draws for me for zettelkasten

as opposed to notebooks because the more

notes you take in a notebook the more

chaotic everything becomes and the less

useful because the more notebooks you

have to shuffle through to find your

thoughts

but in settle castin the more notes you

take and the more connections you make

between those notes the more valuable

your zettlecaston gets and the easier it

is to come up with ideas for writing

projects and actually start writing the

projects so i hope this video has been

useful to you i'm sure that i will be

making more videos on this topic if

there's anything you specifically want

to ask or want me to make a video about

let me know and i will make it happen i

will also be putting links in the

description box below to where you can

download obsidian as well as external

information from other people that i

think have done a good job explaining

how to use the settle casting as always

you can give me a comment to let me know

what you are thinking about ask any

questions tell me how you currently take

notes whether you think that you want to

switch to the zettlecaston system thank

you for watching everybody i hope that

you took some fleeting notes during this

video that you are now going to turn

into permanent notes in your own

zettlecaston system and connect them to

all of your other knowledges if you want

more content like this i mostly talk

about books that i'm reading but i am

also going to start doing more teaching

and learning and knowledge management

style videos so if you're interested in

that content then feel free to subscribe

to my channel and i'll see you in

another video soon