A zettelkasten (German for “slip box”) is a knowledge management method where you create a network of interconnected, atomic notes that build understanding through emergent connections rather than rigid hierarchical organization.
See: Zettelkasten and Evergreen MOC for implementation and best practices
Read elsewhere
- Introduction to the Zettelkasten Method • Zettelkasten Method
- All Things Zettelkasten | Writing by Bob Doto
Classical zettelkasten, the Luhmann show
This system implemented by Niklas Luhmann, consisted of two slip boxes, one for the biographical notes, the other for his ideas
Box 1 - Bibliography
- title, isbn etc
- brief notes about content
Box 2 - NL's ideas and thoughts on the subject
- Short and brief, but full sentences
- Note written in context of other notes, linking ideas, not a rehashing of the source material
- No quoting, strive original wording
Example: English Translation of All Notes on Zettelkasten by Luhmann
Four key identifiers of NL's ZK
- System of organization: sections, then card numbers
- Placement: where in the slip-box a note was located indicated the primary context of the note folgezettel
- Index cards: Index as entry point to a group of notes (chain of thought)
- Numbering system: numbers and letters
- Linking system
- Links: Linked note to more than one other note gave it several more contexts
- Keyword index
More modern implementation by Ahrens
Sönke Ahrens named the different kind of notes, and (slightly) formalized the approach:
- Fleeting notes — temporary, stream of conscience initial notes. Located in the inbox, and will be discarded when processed
- Permanent notes — permanent as in never thrown away, not that they can’t be edited. Stored as literature notes in the reference system or in the slip-box.
- Project notes — the same approach as the former, but within a limited scope of a project. Upon completion discarded or archived.
→ Key Concepts
History - zettelkasten & commonplace books
- Niklas Luhmann
- History of zettelkasten (very much wip)
- Classical zettelkasten was a balanced but outdated system
- commonplace book
Also → §Note-writing systems
(Primary) Sources
At its simplest, a zettelkasten is a commonplace book with an index, links and condensed notes of specific ideas we wrote ourselves Reframing and simplifying the idea of how to keep a Zettelkasten - Chris Aldrich
A Zettelkasten is a personal tool for thinking and writing. It has hypertextual features to make a web of thought possible. The difference to other systems is that you create a web of thoughts instead of notes of arbitrary size and form, and emphasize connection, not a collection. – Introduction to the Zettelkasten Method • Zettelkasten Method
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The Zettelkasten (German: “slip box”, plural zettelkästen) is a system of note-taking and personal knowledge management used in research and study. Variations of the note taking system are known by the “card index” or “index card file” in English and fichier boîte (“file box”) in French contexts. Wikipedia:zettelkasten
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