The Bonney Lab

Building a PKM System

3 min read

Building a Personal Knowledge Management System

A Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) system is a method for collecting, organizing, and connecting information in a way that helps you learn, create, and make decisions more effectively.

Why Build a PKM System?

In today’s information-rich world, we’re constantly bombarded with new ideas, articles, books, and conversations. Without a system to capture and organize this information:

  • Important ideas get forgotten
  • Connections between concepts are missed
  • Knowledge remains fragmented
  • Learning becomes inefficient
  • Creative insights are less likely to occur

Core Components of an Effective PKM System

1. Capture

The first step is to capture information from various sources:

  • Highlight passages from books and articles
  • Take notes during meetings and conversations
  • Save interesting articles and videos
  • Record your own thoughts and ideas

Tools for capture include:

  • Note-taking apps (Obsidian, Notion, Evernote)
  • Web clippers (Readwise, Instapaper)
  • Voice memos
  • Physical notebooks

2. Process

Processing involves reviewing captured information and:

  • Extracting key ideas
  • Summarizing in your own words
  • Breaking down complex concepts
  • Adding your own thoughts and questions
  • Tagging and categorizing

3. Connect

The real power of PKM comes from connecting ideas:

  • Link related notes together
  • Create topic clusters
  • Identify patterns and contradictions
  • Build concept maps
  • Develop frameworks

4. Create

Use your PKM system as a foundation for creation:

  • Develop new ideas
  • Write articles and essays
  • Prepare presentations
  • Solve problems
  • Make decisions

5. Review

Regularly review and refine your system:

  • Update outdated information
  • Strengthen connections
  • Fill knowledge gaps
  • Archive less relevant material

Zettelkasten Method

Developed by sociologist Niklas Luhmann, this method focuses on creating atomic notes (one idea per note) and connecting them through links. It emphasizes:

  • Permanent notes that contain one idea
  • Extensive cross-referencing
  • Emergent organization

PARA Method

Created by Tiago Forte, PARA organizes information into four categories:

  • Projects: Active tasks with deadlines
  • Areas: Ongoing responsibilities
  • Resources: Topics of interest
  • Archive: Inactive items

IMF Method

Developed by Nick Milo, the IMF (Index, Maps, Frameworks) method uses:

  • Indexes to list related content
  • Maps to visualize relationships
  • Frameworks to structure thinking

Digital Tools for PKM

  • Obsidian: Markdown-based with powerful linking and visualization
  • Roam Research: Bidirectional linking and outlining
  • Notion: All-in-one workspace with databases
  • Logseq: Open-source outliner with bidirectional linking
  • Evernote: Simple note-taking with good web clipping
  • Quartz: For publishing your digital garden

Getting Started

  1. Start small with a simple system
  2. Focus on capturing ideas that resonate with you
  3. Develop a consistent processing routine
  4. Gradually build connections between notes
  5. Experiment with different tools and methods
  6. Be patient - a valuable PKM system takes time to develop

This note will evolve as my understanding of PKM systems develops.

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