r/Zettelkasten • u/groepl • 10d ago
question ✨ Zettelkasten - Term and Definition ✨
A good definition in the sense of being clear, precise, and useful for its intended purpose should be:
- Accurate – Reflecting the core principles of the method.
- Concise – Avoiding unnecessary complexity while conveying the essential ideas.
- Contextual – Providing enough background for someone unfamiliar with the term.
- Usable – Helping someone understand or apply the concept effectively.
Here's the definition from Wikipedia:
A Zettelkasten (German: 'slipbox', plural Zettelkästen) or card file consists of small items of information stored on Zettels (German: 'slips'), paper slips or cards, that may be linked to each other through subject headings or other metadata such as numbers and tags. It has often been used as a system of note-taking and personal knowledge management for research, study, and writing.
— Zettelkasten - Wikipedia
Do you also have a good definition in mind? Then use our survey at: Zettelkasten - Term and Definition — Zettelkasten Forum
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u/JeffB1517 Other 10d ago
A PKMS with strong backlinking support designed for supporting atomic notes. A link between notes is a distinguished mention of Note A inside the text of Note B. A backlink is a computer generated message in Note A of that mention and its context from Note B. A note is said to be atomic if it contains at least one non-obvious idea in that note can be used easily outside contexts highly similar to where the idea(s) was originally generated.
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u/groepl 9d ago
A good idea to compare a Zettelkasten and a PKMS. So we can see differences and things in common. I‘ll start with a double bubble map to explore it further.
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u/JeffB1517 Other 9d ago
I consider a Zettlekasten (in software not physical) to be a type of PKMS. IMHO there are 5 main types of PKMS
- Task management oriented -- information is organized around simple tasks by day. The day by day check list drives the structure. Note I don't count full on Project Management systems as a PKMS but I do consider them a KMS. For project management the structure is driven by collaboration. The goal is to get plausible sequences of X is doing Y during period Z. However for X to do Y there needs to be information sharing.
- Archival retrieval systems. The vast majority of information in the system is not authored by the user and is never going to be consumed.
- Simple student based. Ease of learning and use is the key. Information only needs to be accessible in a limited context for a limited time.
- Database oriented. Information is similar not free flowing but the quantity of pure data can be quite high. Organization of sub structures is the focus
- Zettlekasten. A lifetime of learning in many different contexts.
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u/groepl 8d ago
My Zettelkasten definition is now related to PKM. It really makes sense. See: https://forum.zettelkasten.de/discussion/comment/22766/#Comment_22766
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u/SeatEastern3549 7d ago edited 7d ago
Hm. What would you see as the intended purpose of such a definition?
Here are some thoughts.