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name reference
description Use when creating reference notes for deep-dives - articles, theses, frameworks, whitepapers, research - with standardized frontmatter and links, so they stay findable and connected.
version 1.0.0
license MIT
metadata
hermes
tags related_skills
second-brain
reference
deep-dive
research
capture
signal

Reference

Deep-dives deserve durable notes. A reference note captures a piece of external knowledge (article, thesis, framework, whitepaper, research) in a standardized form: typed frontmatter, a sharp summary, and connections to what it means for you. The standardization is the point - it makes reference notes machine-usable for retrieval, reflection, and memory.

When to Use

  • The owner shares a deep-dive article, paper, or framework
  • A research task produced findings that must persist
  • A talk, video, or book needs a durable reference
  • Proactively: after a deep-dive analysis, create the reference note without asking (that is the default, not the exception)

Don't use for: routine inbox processing (see capture) - reference notes are for material that earns its place as durable knowledge.

Frontmatter

---
type: reference
title: <exact title>
source: <URL or original file>
author: <author(s)>
created: YYYY-MM-DD
tags: [topic1, topic2]
related: [DEC-001, [[other note]]]
status: active   # active | applied | archived
---

The note body

# <Title>

## Summary
<2-5 bullets: the core argument, the data, the conclusion>

## Key points
<bullets, each one a claim that could be cited later>

## Relevance
<why this matters to the owner - connections to projects, decisions,
principles. This section is what makes it a brain note, not a bookmark>

## Quotes (optional)
<verbatim quotes that carry weight - the voice is the value>

## Source
<URL / file path / citation>

Rules

  • Summary over dump. The note is a pointer with the extractable value, not a mirror of the original.
  • Relevance is mandatory. A reference note with no "why it matters" is a bookmark. Bookmarks rot; notes connect.
  • Connect immediately. Link related notes, decisions (DEC-###), and signal IDs. Do it at creation - later never happens.
  • Standard frontmatter, always. Retrieval and the memory compiler depend on the schema.
  • Proactive default: after any deep-dive analysis, create the reference note immediately - do not wait for end-of-day, do not ask permission. If it connects to a strategic decision, log that too.
  • Privacy default: if the source is sensitive or confidential, mark it and respect the vault's corpus policy (exclude from public index if configured).

Common Pitfalls

  1. Bookmarking instead of noting. "Saved the link" is not a reference note. The summary + relevance are the note.
  2. Skipping relevance. The most common failure - the note documents the source but not what it means. Write it anyway; it is the whole point.
  3. Missing frontmatter. A reference without type: reference and source breaks retrieval and the memory compiler.
  4. Waiting for permission. The proactive default exists because deep-dives are exactly when the insight is fresh. Capture now.
  5. Unlinked references. A reference that connects to nothing is a tombstone
    • same disease as capture, same cure: links at creation.

Verification Checklist

  • Reference note created with standardized frontmatter (type, source, created, tags)
  • Summary + key points (no full-text dump)
  • Relevance section written (why it matters)
  • Connected: related notes/decisions/signals linked
  • Created proactively after the deep-dive (not deferred)
  • Privacy/corpus policy respected