The Zettelkasten method or how to take notes intelligently

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The Zettelkasten method is a system that optimizes our way of taking notes. It is very valid in the academic context, but also in a more everyday adult context, where we are often faced with the challenge of synthesizing the information to which we are exposed.

The Zettelkasten method is an optimized technique for taking notes and making them truly useful. It is especially valuable when writing essays, articles or thesis. However, It can be applied to almost any intellectual exercise that involves collecting information and decanting itas happens when we design a project.

Almost everyone takes notes, although for various reasons. Sometimes they are simple memory aids, but on other occasions they are a fundamental tool to advance an idea. The Zettelkasten method provides the option of carrying out that activity in a more rational way, increasing efficiency.

First of all, a warning must be made. The application of the Zettelkasten method only shows its fruits after a while of using it. It requires a certain skill and a refinement of personal judgment so that a great difference can be noticed between common notes and those achieved thanks to this methodology. We will see what it is and how it is put into practice.

“Reading makes a full man; the conversation, agile; writing, precise”.

-Francis Bacon-

The Zettelkasten method was designed by sociologist Niklas Luhmann.

The Zettelkasten method: the history

The Zettelkasten method owes its name to two German words: zettel, or ‘note’; and kasten, or ‘box’. In other words, it could be translated as “note box” or “sliding box,” as its creator called it. It was designed by renowned sociologist Niklas Luhmann.living proof of the effectiveness of this methodology: he wrote 70 books and more than 400 academic articles.

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In fact, Luhmann was a bureaucrat who loved philosophy. He consulted various texts and took notes on them. He soon saw the need to systematize them and so he began to give shape to the Zettelkasten method. This allowed him to produce a writing that impressed a famous German sociologist.

He was so impressed that he invited Luhmann to teach sociology at the University of Bielefeld.. He did not have a degree in that subject, but he attended classes, perfected his note-taking technique, and in less than a year he managed to graduate. Thus, he would end up being a renowned sociology professor.

Types of notes

To apply the Zettelkasten method we must distinguish three types of notes:

Fleeting Notes: They correspond to those ideas that appear suddenly, in isolation. They should be written in any notebook or notebook you have on hand, but they do not go in the sliding box.

The relevant annotations are kept in two different boxes, they are written in bibliographic cards and are of two types:

Literature notes. They correspond to the ideas that are extracted from the readings. They are brief and must be written in your own words. They go in the reference box and ideally they should be reviewed every day.permanent notes. They are derived from the literature notes and correspond to the development of ideas or arguments contained in the first box. They are a kind of accumulated conclusions, which constitute the essence of the work that is intended to be carried out.

The principles of the Zettelkasten method

The Zettelkasten method has some basic principles that must be applied throughout the note-taking process. Each annotation must comply with those parameters, which are the following:

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Atomicity. Each note must contain one and only one idea.Autonomy. Each note must be understandable on its own.Link. The note made must be associated with another. If it is isolated, it is useless.Link explanation. Next to each note, you must specify, very briefly, why it is associated with another note.own words. Copying and pasting is prohibited.References. The reference source or sources for each idea must be indicated.Connection. When there are several notes that are related, it is advisable to also describe this relationship and its implications.Thematic notes. Little by little the notes begin to be grouped by themes. If so, you must create a note that groups them together and shows the connection between them.

This method distinguishes three types of notes: fleeting, literary and permanent.

Keys to applying the Zettelkasten method

Applying the Zettelkasten method of taking notes may not be so easy at first. It is required to exercise it even for several months for it to flow naturally. Anyway, it is worth taking into account some keys:

You have to make a couple of sliding boxes for each project you have in mind.The ideal is to write down a general objective at the beginning of each project.. For example: do an essay on the history of Bolivia.Set a specific goal. It is a measurable product that allows verification of compliance with the objective. For example: prepare a five-page paper that talks about the history of Bolivia from the 19th century to the present.Define the why. It is important to specify the reason why it is important to achieve the goal and achieve the objective. It helps a lot to set a deadline to achieve the purpose.

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The best thing to do is to review the literary notes every day, and then prepare at least one permanent note.. When preparing the writing or project you just have to squeeze all the value out of the notes. Content that is not only valuable for the knowledge it contains, but also for those ideas that it is usually capable of inspiring.