How to Write a Thesis - Umberto Eco Vs How to Take Smart Notes - Sönke Ahrens
These two books represent fundamentally different philosophies about the research and writing process. Both are very good in their own right.
- Compare with How to read a book - Doren
Eco’s Sequential Approach
- Start with: Research question or thesis topic
- Then: Systematic literature review
- Then: Organize and synthesize findings
- Here: This would be the place to think
- Finally: Write the thesis
- Philosophy: Top-down - know what you’re looking for before you start
--- title: "🔄 Sequential Studying Approach" --- flowchart TD %% Sequential Approach (Top) subgraph SEQ [ ] Start["Research question"] A["📚 Literature Review"] B["🔬 Synthesis & Analysis"] C["💡 Original Thinking"] D["📝 Final Output"] Start --> A A --> B B --> C C --> D A1[Read sources linearly] A2[Complete before moving on] A3[Passive consumption] B1[Analyze after reading] B2[Compare sources in batches] B3[Find patterns retrospectively] C1[Generate ideas at end] C2[Build on completed analysis] C3[Often rushed or limited] A -.-> A1 A1 -.-> A2 A2 -.-> A3 B -.-> B1 B1 -.-> B2 B2 -.-> B3 C -.-> C1 C1 -.-> C2 C2 -.-> C3 end classDef seqBox fill:#e3f2fd,stroke:#1976d2,stroke-width:2px classDef zetBox fill:#f3e5f5,stroke:#7b1fa2,stroke-width:2px classDef process fill:#fff3e0,stroke:#f57c00,stroke-width:2px class A,B,C,D seqBox class Z1,Z2,Z3 zetBox class A1,A2,A3,B1,B2,B3,C1,C2,C3,ZK1,ZK2,ZK3,ZK4 process
Ahrens’ Emergent Approach
- Start with: Reading interesting sources
- Continuously: Take atomic notes and make connections
- Gradually: Let research questions emerge from note patterns
- Finally: Assemble insights into coherent arguments
- Philosophy: Bottom-up - let the research question find you
Key Philosophical Differences
Research Question Origin
- Eco: “Choose your topic first, then research it”
- Ahrens: “Research broadly, let topics emerge from connections”
Note-Taking Purpose
- Eco: Notes serve a predetermined research agenda
- Ahrens: Notes create the research agenda through emergent connections → notes are simply components, stripped of external context, collected for future use
Writing Process
- Eco: Writing happens after research is complete
- Ahrens: Writing happens throughout the research process (permanent notes are already writing) → For notes to be useful, actively engage with them → Notes are conversations with your future self
Serendipity Role
- Eco: Acknowledges serendipity but treats it as supplementary to planned research
- Ahrens: Makes serendipity central to the research methodology → There is freedom in letting go of assumptions and limits. These less traveled paths will be more fulfilling and adventurous
Which Is Better?
Eco’s approach works well for:
- Structured academic programs with clear requirements
- Time-constrained projects with specific deliverables
- Confirmatory research testing existing hypotheses
Ahrens’ approach excels for:
- Exploratory research in novel domains
- Long-term intellectual development
- Interdisciplinary insights and creative breakthroughs
- Compound knowledge building over years or decades
The key insight is that Ahrens isn’t just describing a different note-taking method—he’s describing a fundamentally different epistemology about how knowledge is created and discovered.