Zettelkasten

The zettelkasten note-writing system is a huge inspiration to my talahardin. Zettelkasten is a German word that roughly translates to “slip-box.” Not everyone agrees to this translation. It is a note-writing system famous for fueling the scholarship of Niklas Luhmann. Sonke Ahrens' book How to Take Smart Notes is considered by some as the best entry point book for the system in English. I think the most intuitive version of the system for the Internet age is Andy Matuschak's evergreen note-taking system. Many consider the website Zettelkasten as the best source of practical information on modern-day applications of the process.

How Luhmann used zettelkasten

Structure

Luhmann’s original structure had three main elements:

• a bibliographical slip-box that contained references and brief notes about the contents of these references
• the main slip-box that contains his own ideas (mostly responses to what he read)
• an index that contains one or two notes that serve as entry points to a large topic

For the notes, Luhmann used index cards. For the slip-boxes, he used wooden boxes.

How Luhmann used the bibliographic slip-box

Luhmann took one index card. Whenever he read something, he wrote its bibliographic information on one side and brief careful notes of its contents in the other. He wrote these notes as if he was writing a paper. He used full sentences and explicit references to other literature if necessary.

How Luhmann used the main slip-box

After doing the previous steps, Luhmann looked at the brief notes he wrote about the reference he read (he did not make any highlights when reading). He then thought about the relevance of these notes to his own thinking and writing. He wrote new notes capturing his own thoughts in new index cards: one idea in one card. He kept these brief, restricting himself in one side of the paper. When he needed to extend a thought, he writes a new note. If notes follow one another, they form a chain of notes. He made connections between existing notes and new notes.

When the time comes for Luhmann to sort notes into a single topic, he creates a new note that sorts relevant links. He does not organize his notes by topic. Instead, he organizes them by giving each note a fixed number. For example, if a new note follows an existing note numbered 22, its number becomes 23. If 23 already exists, its number becomes 22a. If more notes follows 22a, he alternated between numbers, letters, commas, and slashes like 21/3d7a7 follows 21/3d7a6.

How Ahrens used zettelkasten

While Ahrens used a process almost identical to that of Luhmann, he articulated several critical recommendations into a workflow.

1. Write fleeting notes. You can also write permanent notes directly into the zettelkasten.
2. Write literature notes. When reading, take notes about what can help you write original permanent notes. Be short and selective, particularly with quotes. Keep literature notes with their bibliographic details in your reference system.
3. Write permanent notes. Once a day, review your fleeting notes and literature notes. Think about how these relate to your own thinking. Use the following questions:
   • Does the new information contradict, correct, support, or add to what I have in my zettelkasten?
   • Can I combine ideas to generate something new?
   • What new questions arise?
4. Format these notes to be understandable by your future self:
   • Write one idea per note.
   • Use full sentences.
   • Indicate your references.
   • Be brief and clear.
5. After processing the fleeting notes, throw them away. After processing literature notes, return them to your reference system.
6. Add links. In each new permanent note, add links to related notes, to the index, or to an entry point linked to the index.

References

Ahrens, S. (2017). How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking – for Students, Academics and Nonfiction Book Writers.