Turn Information into Knowledge (a beginner’s guide)
Suppose you’ve chewed around on the Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) bone for a while; in all likelihood, you’ve gathered a few article clippings, read a couple of books, re-worded some ideas into thoughts, tagged, and linked them to other notations.
Odds are you’ve been feeling (and acting) like all you do is take notes for your archive.
Personal Knowledge Management and its similarities. For example, the Zettelkasten methodology, LYT, Second Brain, etc., have structures that exist on (at least) two different levels.
Level one is the information level and the processes to find and retrieve the data collected. These processes include (but are not limited to) names, identification numbers (UID), date acquired, tags, a summary of material included, links, and information location. Level one information is superficial metadata and requires little effort to introduce and maintain.
Level two is personal knowledge acquired regarding the information detailed in written form (or pictures, graphs, napkins), which you now manage (with all your other knowledge) in a PKM.
Let’s dissect three examples:
1. Flapjacks
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
The recipe for Flapjacks from Reader’s Digest’s “Down Home Cooking — The New Healthier Way” is a family favorite. The page is crusted with spilled milk and whisked flour, as children and now grandchildren learn the fine art of cooking flapjacks with Grandpa.
I have changed the basic recipe over the years. First, I substituted milk for low-fat buttermilk (we never had buttermilk anyway) and soon found that 1 1/3 cups of milk was too much, so I reduced it to 1 1/4 cups (2%). Second came apple sauce to remove the vegetable oil. Third, I experimented with flour, first trying 100% gluten-free (horrible) and finally settling into 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup+ 2 Tablespoons rice flour, and 2 Tablespoons tapioca flour.
I like the modified recipe (you might not), but there is hardly a recipe in our household that has yet to be modified in one form or another. Meatloaf has green bell peppers substituted for 1/2 the onions, and I now bake my mother’s apple pudding cake on a cookie sheet instead of in a cake pan. In other words, I have experimented and gained personal knowledge with each recipe until I found something of value.
Is the example too simple? Probably. However, pointing out the steps between information, EXPERIMENTATION, time, and written results is essential. Write things down; the world doesn’t need any more lost recipes because no one knows what a pinch of this or a dash of that means.
2. Hiking
I love hiking, ATV (all-terrain vehicle) riding, camping, and spending time in the outdoors. I have dozens of books listing hikes in the national parks and monuments surrounding me.
The great books contain the following INFORMATION:
- Difficulty.
- Distance.
- Average hiking time.
- Permits (if required).
- Trailhead (GPS coordinates) and description.
- Out and back or circular. Shuttle system set-up (if needed).
- Description of hike.
- Topo Map of the route.
From my years of personal experimentation with hiking and the knowledge I have gained from each trip (generally because I was not prepared), I have developed a checklist of items to take with me, depending on the information available.
I’ve learned to read a map and navigate with a compass or GPS; however, no matter how long I study a map, the actual landscape holds surprises I will only see once I hike the trail.
After my hike, I write a trip report documenting my experience. The report includes information on finding the trailhead, the trail’s condition, campgrounds, other hikes in the area, pictures, GPS coordinates of unusual features, weather, obstacles, and anything else necessary.
Each hike is part of my PKM, which I organize by country. In the USA, my data is further categorized by state, county, and quadrangle, listing the hikes available and my experience with each one.
Crossover knowledge
The primary advantage of maintaining a PKM is taking advantage of crossover knowledge. For example, on every camping trip, I put the dry ingredients from my Flapjack recipe in a container with instructions to add the milk, egg, and apple sauce.
My hiking experiences helped me create emergency preparedness (bug-out) packs, including water purification pumps, ropes, and instructions for cooking dinner using tin foil.
3. SparkNote writing
I first learned SparkNote writing from Ev Chapman in her Medium article The Simple Process I Use For Turning Notes Into Knowledge (& Knowledge Into Content).(1) Ev says:
“Often, a SparkNote feels like a bolt of lightning hitting me (which incidentally is why I call it a SparkNote). A few words stand out on the page, and I think ‘that’s interesting.’ It doesn’t have to be more than that. You don’t have to know what you’re going to use it for or have a big explanation. You simply have to pay attention to that feeling of inspiration.”
Ev provides INFORMATION on how she captures ideas, what she calls it, and later explains how she processes the information into Atomic Notes.
After trying Ev’s recommendations, I started to EXPERIMENT with a couple of items that better fit my mental machinery and found that SparkNote capture and writing work best for me if I capture an idea or “claim” the author is making regarding two distinct points. A few interesting words doesn’t get my juices flowing; however, a few interesting words regarding other interesting words stimulates my brain to try and connect the dots.
For example, yesterday’s (May 18, 2024) Preakness winner, Seize the Grey, was owned by 2,750 micro investors. I love it when the small guys win. I’m also interested in micro-investing and how blockchain-based tokenization of assets can, in many ways, help more small guys stand in the winner's circle.
Part 2: Turn Information into Knowledge (an intermediate users guide).
Part 3: Turn Information into Knowledge (advanced guide).
Written May 19, 2024
Editorial assistance provided by Grammarly.
Thanks for Reading!
While coffee may not be my cup of tea, I do have a passion for beautiful jewelry. If you enjoyed reading my article, I invite you to visit Jewelry Art by Linda, where every piece is lovingly crafted by hand with meticulous attention to detail.
Published simultaneously at Linda’s Brick Barn.
Footnotes and References
1 Chapman, E. (2019, December 5). The Simple Process I Use For Turning Notes Into Knowledge, Knowledge Into Content. Medium. https://medium.com/@evchapman/the-simple-process-i-use-for-turning-notes-into-knowledge-knowledge-into-content-a78c4711316b
