Obsidian
Overview
Obsidian is a text editor for creating and managing notes in the Markdown format (.md).
Notes are stored in folders called "Vaults" and can be interconnected through internal links. Obsidian also supports a wide range of community-developed plugins to extend its functionality.
Getting Started
- Download and install Obsidian on your device or use the web version
- Create a new Vault for your project or lab notes
- It is possible to create a vault in a locally synced cloud to make it accessible from anywhere (e.g. Nextcloud )
- Add Markdown files for notes, procedures, or references
- Link related notes using internal links and tags
- Explore plugins to extend functionality as needed
Key Concepts
- Vault: A folder containing Markdown files that make up a collection of notes.
- Markdown: A lightweight markup language used for formatting text.
- Internal links: Connections between notes to create a network of related information.
- Tags: Labels used to organize and categorize notes.
- Plugins: Add-ons that extend Obsidian’s functionality.
Main Uses
- Organize project documentation and research notes
- Link related notes for easy navigation and reference
- Visualize relationships between files using graph view
- Customize features with community plugins
- Maintain structured and searchable knowledge bases
Why It Matters
- Centralizes documentation and notes in one system
- Supports knowledge discovery through linking and visualization
- Enhances productivity with organization and search tools
- Extensible through community plugins for added functionality
When You Will Use It
- Taking and organizing project notes
- Documenting experiments or procedures
- Visualizing connections between topics or data
- Using plugins for task management, templates, or advanced workflows
Good Practices
- Organize notes with clear file names and folder structures
- Use consistent tags for categorization
- Regularly update notes to keep documentation current
- Make use of graph view to identify relationships between notes