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Somebody (I can’t honestly recall whom) recommended “How to Take Smart Notes” to me. I purchased it and read it this morning. Ahrens basically summarizes Niklas Luhmann’s method in English, step-by-step for easy consumption, the Slip-Box Method, or Zettelkasten. I’ve seen this b4
I heard of, and learned something similar to the Slip-Box Method when I was in grade school. I think what happens is that we all end up modifying it to suit our own needs. But the same principles remain: you're always writing, you need a permanent medium to record your thoughts.
The right way to pay homage to Ahren's detailed and dedicated description of the Slip-Box Method would be to actually take notes of his book https://www.amazon.com/How-Take-Smart-Notes-Nonfiction-ebook/dp/B06WVYW33Y and show you my index cards of the book. But I don't have the time to do that right this very moment (overwhelmed)
I really appreciate how Ahren's offers the first chapter of his book (which provides the entire gist of the system, in case you can't afford the $13 USD it costs on paperback) free for download here https://takesmartnotes.com/ (scroll to the bottom of the page, available in PDF)
I agree with Ahrens that most writing books teach you about making time to write (Zeruvabel), taking it easy with your writing (Jensen), writing properly and without bullshit (Bernoff), producing text (Dunleavy, Kamler & Thomson), but very few if any teach note-taking FOR WRITING
Not to toot my own horn, but THAT'S PRECISELY WHAT I SUGGEST IN MY WEBSITE and to my students. I write memorandums http://www.raulpacheco.org/2016/07/writing-effective-memorandums/ Synthetic Notes http://www.raulpacheco.org/2017/05/writing-synthetic-notes-of-journal-articles-and-book-chapters/ - AIC extracts http://www.raulpacheco.org/2017/12/carving-time-to-read-the-aic-and-conceptual-synthesis-excel-dump-combination-method/ and systematize them in Excel Dumps http://www.raulpacheco.org/2016/06/synthesizing-different-bodies-of-work-in-your-literature-review-the-conceptual-synthesis-excel-dump-technique/
What some people call "The Pre-Writing Stage" (thinking, reading, ruminating thoughts, analyzing data, poring over archival data, running models and taking notes of how these models perform, making maps and interpreting them) is a PROCESS in and of itself that NEEDS to be taught.
The reason why I made the Everything Notebook http://www.raulpacheco.org/resources/the-everything-notebook/ is because it's sort of my Luhmann's Slip-Box - all my notes in one place. You can obviously criticize me for keeping index cards OUTSIDE of my Everything Notebook. But I store everything in the same place.
You can use whichever method works best for you, for me a combination of digital and analog note-taking strategies is what allows me to produce publishable texts. That's why I push for acknowledging that reading (and note-taking) IS writing http://www.raulpacheco.org/2018/01/legitimising-reading-as-a-crucial-component-of-academic-writing/ </end thread>
Addendum to my 2018 thread on Sonke Ahrens' "How to Take Smart Notes". The first time I read it, it was very hard for me to absorb. It took me FOREVER.
HOWEVER...
I just re-read it this past weekend and it was an absolute breeze. It took me less than 45 minutes to finish it.
HOWEVER...
I just re-read it this past weekend and it was an absolute breeze. It took me less than 45 minutes to finish it.
To note: I do NOT do Zettelkasten.
I do a combination of my own approach to Index Cards http://www.raulpacheco.org/2018/11/note-taking-techniques-i-the-index-card-method/
Plus Peggy Boyle Single's approach http://www.raulpacheco.org/2018/06/demystifying-dissertation-writing-a-streamlined-process-from-choice-of-topic-to-final-text-my-reading-notes/ approach plus Umberto Eco's approach http://www.raulpacheco.org/2018/08/how-to-write-a-thesis-umberto-eco-my-reading-notes/
I do NOT like the Zettelkasten approach.
I do a combination of my own approach to Index Cards http://www.raulpacheco.org/2018/11/note-taking-techniques-i-the-index-card-method/
Plus Peggy Boyle Single's approach http://www.raulpacheco.org/2018/06/demystifying-dissertation-writing-a-streamlined-process-from-choice-of-topic-to-final-text-my-reading-notes/ approach plus Umberto Eco's approach http://www.raulpacheco.org/2018/08/how-to-write-a-thesis-umberto-eco-my-reading-notes/
I do NOT like the Zettelkasten approach.
As someone who LOVES index cards, and who is a Virgo, Type A, Upholder (Gretchen Rubin) you might wonder what I do NOT like about Zettelkasten.
I do not like the sequencing approach, nor the "unique key".
HOWEVER...
I think reading Ahrens' book is EXTREMELY VALUABLE/HELPFUL.
I do not like the sequencing approach, nor the "unique key".
HOWEVER...
I think reading Ahrens' book is EXTREMELY VALUABLE/HELPFUL.
Ahrens’ writing keeps me engaged and without de-emphasizing Zettelkasten, he extols the virtues of note taking and of index cards.
Plus the way he organized the book is just simple and elegant (see table of contents)
Plus the way he organized the book is just simple and elegant (see table of contents)
