From Info-Glut to Connected Notes: Obsidian and Digital Note-Taking in Academia

Researchers have long grappled with effective ways to approach note-taking. Students and researchers have an even harder time today, a period that some consider the “golden age” of information, but others frame as a time of “info-glut.” We have more things to read and evaluate than ever before, but we also have a growing number of digital tools to navigate this material. 

In this talk, Professor Andy Roddick (Anthropology, McMaster University) will discuss some ways to approach note-taking in this context, and the value of one particularly useful digital tool. Obsidian (https://obsidian.md) is a free multi-platform program that allows plain-text notes sitting in folders on your computer to become far more powerful. Dr. Roddick will explore the value of Obsidian for connecting notes in the classroom, in a literature review, and in long-term research.

Workshop recording

View the original here.

Workshop materials

View Dr. Roddick’s GoogleDoc on all things related to Obsidian and digital notes in the academy.

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