From “Not Sure How It Works” to “Maybe This Will Help Someone”
A journey often starts with chaos and confusion
At some point during my PhD, I started using Logseq to organize my knowledge.
Then it was Obsidian, then both for a time. Then Logseq again.
Guess what? Now I am back to both.
Learning to use a note-taking app is an interesting experience. I mean, it’s something you need to manage your knowledge, but you also need some time to learn how does that actually work. I guess if you already have a great note-taking routine (I hadn’t), you know how to structure your thoughts (carnival music roaming) and you have some basic idea on how to connect your ideas (lucky you) then the learning curve is reasonable.
For me it was indeed interesting. I downloaded Logseq with no ideas about how to make it work. My very first entry (September 15th, 2021) recites:
I installed this thing. Not sure how it works (yet).
cit. me as a confused Logseq first-timer
Truer words have never been said. That was all for that week, no more entries.
But then it was like a videogame. You keep thinking about it and you keep trying.
At some point you reach some level of certainty and move forward.
Each new level brought its own set of complexities. The longer I used it, the more questions popped up: how do people structure their vaults? What’s a good way to handle academic reading? Is there a Zotero workflow that won’t break my brain?
If you are here because you’d like an answer to these questions, I apologize in advance.
I do not think there is anything like this in the whole wide web. That’s because it depends on you. When I gave a workshop to PhD students about note-taking apps and PKM I had a mantra (I think at some point I should have written it on a t-shirt, I was saying it every three or four sentences):
What works for me might not work for you.
cit. me as a recalcitrant Logseq user
I have my own workflow. I can show it to you and you can try it, but I bet you will find something about it that it’s just not right.
But then again, the internet if full of people finding their own workflow and sharing it with others (bless them).
That’s when I realized: I had quietly been collecting a pretty large pile of resources that other researchers (and future me!) might find useful.
It took a while to organize everything, but eventually I decided it was worth turning into a proper list.
Disclaimer.
There are already “awesome PKM” lists out there, a quick github search will show you 5 others. And they are great.
But somehow some are pretty general, or focused on the tools, not the context in which people use them.
This list is my attempt at something more specific: a curated (and opinionated) resource library, with researchers and PhD students in mind.
What’s Inside
It includes:
- Forum threads where people talk about how they actually use PKM tools in academia.
- Blog posts about real workflows; e.g. Zotero to Obsidian, or how to organize a literature review in Logseq.
- Ready-to-use vaults and templates (some very polished, some simple but helpful).
- Videos and talks that show how people think through their own systems (these are one of my personal favourite. I could listen for hours to people on youtube telling me how they structure their academic knowledge).
- Academic papers on knowledge graphs, note-taking, and scholarly PKM.
I’ve grouped everything into categories, so it’s easy to browse or come back to later.
Who This Is For
This might be useful if you:
- are writing a thesis (Bachelor, Master, Doctorate) and losing track of all your notes
- want to stop reinventing your reading workflow every semester (been there, done that)
- tried using Obsidian or Logseq and didn’t know where to start
- feel like your brain is full of articles you never quite remember at the right time
- you have a to-read list that is longer than your 12yo Christmas wishlist
Basically: if you’re a researcher trying to manage knowledge better, this list is for you.
Want to Add Something?
Please do! I’d love to keep this evolving. You can:
- submit a pull request
- open an issue
- or just message me if you’re unsure how to do those and still have something you would like to add.
Tips, workflows, example vaults, tiny-but-useful plugins… anything that helps researchers use PKM more intentionally is welcome.
TL;DR
I just wanted a place to put all the good stuff in, and maybe help a few other people skip the part where they re-Google “Zotero to Obsidian academic workflow” every three weeks.
Here’s the repo: 👉 Awesome PKM for Academics and Researchers