The Zettelkasten method is described by Sönke Ahrens in How To Take Smart Notes.
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The word Zettelkasten comes from the German words zettel (slip, sticky note, index card) and kasten (box, index card box).
The Zettelkasten method consists of four types of notes:
- Literature/Reference Notes
- Permanent Notes
- Fleeting Notes
- Hub or Index Notes
Each note is only meant to contain one idea, small enough to fit on a small index card. Each note should be able to be understood on its own, but they can also be linked to other cards.
Literature Notes
Literature notes are notes you make about a particular text you have read. They summarise the key idea in the text and include bibliographical information.
Literature notes should rephrase the key points of a text in your own words. This forces you to engage with and truly understand the text. Direct quotes should be used sparingly.
Permanent Notes
Permanent notes are notes of original thoughts. The notes should stand alone without needing context to other sources. You can also make permanent notes as a recap or summary of other content you have learned from multiple sources.
Fleeting Notes
Temporary notes that will be converted into another type of note later or discarded.
Hub or Index Notes
Hub notes are notes about a certain topic or subtopic. They provide an overview or road map of a topic, and can show how things link together. They can be similar to an article or outline that brings everything together.
Some notes that don’t have many connections are going to end up getting lost in your Zettelkasten, like how we forget things naturally. But that’s okay. With a Zettelkasten, you can scan through orphan notes to see if they spark reminders that you can turn into connections now and again.