Note-Taking Workflow as PhD Student

Obsidian

First of all, I have tried several methods of taking notes in the past, but most of them turned out to be quite messy or didn’t have all the features I wanted. Mostly, I wanted something centralized that saved my notes locally and used markdown, since it would be easier to migrate or recover notes.

Many note-taking apps offer similar advantages; however, not all of them have tools that allow me to draw, study, code, build, read, etc. Mainly, I think the community plugins Obsidian offers are one of the most attractive aspects for me. As a computer engineer, I need to create reports that include tables, screenshots, and code blocks, which Obsidian excels at displaying. In this post I will go over some of the plugins I use every day:

Note all the plugins are avaible in the community plugins section in the setting. {: .prompt-tip }

Plugin: Excalidraw

Excalidraw in Obsidian is like having a fun doodle pad right in your notes! It’s super easy to use and lets you draw diagrams, sketches, and all sorts of visuals without ever leaving your notes. You can spice up your ideas with shapes, lines, and text, making your notes more engaging and easier to understand.

What’s cool is that you can seamlessly drop your Excalidraw creations right into your notes in Obsidian. It’s like having a digital drafting table built right into your engineering notebook, streamlining your workflow and helping you communicate your ideas with precision.

Plugin: Calendar and Periodic Notes

Imagine effortlessly diving into your Obsidian workspace every day, greeted by a fresh Daily Note waiting for you. With the Calendar and Periodic Notes plugin, entering your daily tasks, thoughts, and reflections becomes a seamless part of your routine. No more worrying about organizing your notes – everything gets neatly pasted in, with no fuss or order required.

What’s really neat is how everything is saved and easily accessible. You can go back to any date and revisit what you did, what you noted down, and all the data you saved. It’s like having a time capsule for your thoughts and activities, allowing you to track your progress and revisit past moments with ease.

But it doesn’t stop there. The real power of the plugin shines when it comes to creating periodic reports, especially for weekly meetings. Being able to compile your weekly activities, insights, and tasks into a structured report is incredibly handy for keeping everyone in the loop and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

After a year of using the Calendar and Periodic Notes plugin, you’ll find it’s become an indispensable tool in your arsenal. Whether you’re looking for old experiments, reports, code snippets, or diagrams, it’s all there, neatly organized and readily available at your fingertips.

Plugin: Zotero Integration

Imagine seamlessly merging your research library with your Obsidian notebook using Zotero integration. While Zotero may not support Android OS, accessing your research notes is a breeze on iPad, thanks to Obsidian. You can effortlessly retrieve all the notes from the papers you’ve saved, right at your fingertips.

What’s really convenient is the ability to add links within your notes, allowing you to easily navigate to figures, quotes, and tables in the Zotero interface. This feature enhances your literature review process, making it one of the best plugins for Zotero users. Whether you’re compiling references, conducting research, or writing papers, the Zotero integration in Obsidian streamlines your workflow and enhances your productivity. It’s like having your entire research library integrated seamlessly into your digital workspace, empowering you to effortlessly manage and leverage your academic resources.