Overwhelmed with 100s of papers for your research and literature review, #AcademicTwitter ?
Here is my solution: A Visual Reference Manager made with @obsdmd brand new canvas feature.
Your 🧠 is not a database - it's a network. #Academicchatter
Follow the 🧵 to learn how.
@obsdmd I use @obsdmd for all my academic needs.
I have 4 types of notes: Sources, Collections, Thoughts and Outlines.
In the title of the source note, I link the PDF of my paper/book chapter.
Here is a thread on how you can set up this system for yourself.
buff.ly/3jAmV7m
@obsdmd Let's create a new Canvas by using the button on the top left of Obsidians interface.
@obsdmd It's dead simple - drag and drop your source notes or use the buttons on the bottom of the canvas.
Notice how the title of my Note is a link. It is linked to the PDF. This allows us to do...
@obsdmd ...this: Hover over the title and it opens the annotated PDF in a popup.
That feature is probably is so much joy to use! You can look up your PDFs in absolutely no time, check figures, review highlights etc.
Let's keep building!
@obsdmd We can connect multiple notes.
Drag from any of the 4 sides of a note to create a connecting arrow to any other note. Boom they are now connected.
Double click on the connections to annotate.
@obsdmd ...you can add some color, to notes and connections and change the size of your notes if you like.
Simply click the element and a small menu will be displayed above it.
@obsdmd The last step is to start adding "Cards". While Notes live in your vaults, cards live on the canvas. (The canvas is itself just a note in the vault).
Use Cards for overarching topics for example - but here you should find your own creative way of organisation.
@obsdmd Grow your graph. Use colors, cards & location to organise your research.
After a while you will remember things by remembering the *abstract location* on your canvas. Extremely Powerful ⚡️.
Memory experts use this technique of location to memorise vast amounts of knowledge.
@obsdmd This was just the bare basics of what this system can do.
I expanded it to the point where I don't use @zotero or Mendeley anymore. With a few tweaks you get to the most powerful academic note setup I know of.
Details in this issue of my newsletter:
buff.ly/3jyCpJ5
@obsdmd @zotero 📣 What do you think of this system of organising literature? Comment below.
♻️ Please scroll up to the top of the thread & retweet the first post, to earn my sincere gratitude!
📩 You might enjoy "The Effortless Academic Newsletter" (Link in my profile)
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