Hi everyone,
I'm excited to share an update on how I'll be structuring the content in my paper explanation system, which you can find at https://www.abhik.xyz/papers.
Moving forward, I'll be adopting the Zettelkasten method for organizing and presenting insights from the research papers I cover.
So, What Exactly is This Zettelkasten Method?
For those unfamiliar, let's unpack Zettelkasten a bit, because it's more than just 'note-taking' – it's effectively a system architecture for building and navigating knowledge. Think of it less like a standard hierarchical file system and more like a personal, interconnected knowledge graph.
Popularized by sociologist Niklas Luhmann (who famously attributed his prolific output to this system), the core mechanics are geared towards understanding and connection, not just passive storage:
- Atomicity: This is fundamental. Each note (a 'Zettel') is designed to capture one single, distinct concept or idea. Think of it like striving for high cohesion in software design – a note should do one thing well. This makes notes modular, easier to grasp in isolation, and highly reusable across different contexts.
- Unique Titles for Linking: Traditionally, Zettelkasten involves assigning each note a persistent, unique identifier (like a timestamp
YYYYMMDDHHMMSS). These act as stable 'addresses' ensuring links don't break even if titles change. However, for the system onabhik.xyz/papers, I plan to treat the note title itself as the unique identifier. This approach makes linking more intuitive (like standard wiki links, e.g.,[[Concept Name]]) but requires careful management to ensure titles of core concept notes remain unique and stable over time. - Dense Linking: This is the engine driving the system's value. You don't just collect notes; you actively weave them together. When creating or reviewing a note, you deliberately create explicit, contextual links to other related notes using their titles. It's about mapping the relationships between concepts. Digital tools often automatically surface backlinks (notes linking to the current one), making this network highly navigable.
- Emergent Structure, Not Rigid Folders: Instead of forcing ideas into predefined folders from the start, Zettelkasten relies on the network of links. Structure often emerges organically. You can create 'Index Notes' or 'Maps of Content' (MOCs) that serve as curated entry points or tables of contents for specific topics, linking out to the relevant atomic notes scattered throughout your system.
The outcome isn't a set of linear documents but a dynamic web of thought. It excels in complex domains like research, where concepts are deeply interwoven and benefit from being viewed through multiple connection points.
Why This Matters for "abhik.xyz/papers`
This shift actually aligns well with my personal workflow. I've already been applying these Zettelkasten principles while reading and deconstructing papers within my private Obsidian vault, so extending this structured linking approach to the public explanations on https://www.abhik.xyz/papers feels like a natural and efficient next step.
My primary motivation remains to navigate and reduce redundancy while building a deeper, connected understanding. This approach will help:
- Explain Concepts Once, Link Many Times: Define foundational ideas (like the 'self-attention mechanism') thoroughly in a single, uniquely titled note. When covering papers that use this concept, such as the Vision Transformer (ViT), I can simply link back (e.g.,
[[Self-Attention Mechanism]]) to that core explanation instead of repeating it. This keeps the focus on the paper's unique contributions. - Surface Connections: More effectively link related methods, findings, and even critiques across different papers that might reference the same underlying principles via these shared concept notes.
- Improve Navigation: Allow you (and me!) to follow threads of thought – jumping from a paper's application back to the core concept explanation by clicking the link, and then potentially exploring other papers linked from that concept note.
The transition will be gradual as I build out this networked knowledge base using uniquely named notes as the connecting nodes. These core, reusable concept notes will reside under the /concepts/ path on the site (for example, abhik.xyz/concepts/self-attention-mechanism), serving as central hubs linked from various paper explanations within /papers/. The goal is to make the entire system – encompassing both /papers/ and /concepts/ – not just a collection of summaries, but a dynamic and efficient web of interconnected research insights, free from unnecessary repetition.
Stay tuned, and I hope you find the evolving structure helpful!