Say what?

I explain it here in the video and show some example:

I hear you. Even though we are using a “digital” system, try following the Antinet “analog” process as much as possible. It will help you to retain more of the information needed to not only craft a stellar document, but also to be able to effectively and convincingly defend your research in oral arguments. Here are some tips and tricks for making that a little bit easier.

1. Get a keyboard that replicates the feel of an old typewriter, wireless if possible. These keyboards tend to force you to type slower because you have to push the keys down slightly more than a flat or traditional keyboard. I type between 90 to 100 words on a normal keyboard; the typewriter forces me to slow down.
   
2. Keep in mind that Obsidian is just a magnified “card” for our purposes and should be on one monitor. Use your books, publications or other tangible materials in a way that works best for you. You still need to take the time to think and consider what you want to say. No typing word-for-word text, with the exception of exact quotes. Look through your document requirements for any limits on direct quotes. You can always highlight a direct quote and see the word-count by looking at the stats in the lower right-hand corner.
   
3. If you are reading digital materials, such as textbooks, e-books, PDFs, or, in my case, hundreds of articles of research, read them on a separate device or monitor. Stop and make your cards, just as you would if reading a tangible book or anything printable on paper.
   
4. Keep the digital workspace clean. I have everything collapsed on the left and right while I am writing. New notes are automatically put at the bottom of the folders pane. Once I am done, I manually slide each individual note to where it needs to be filed, just like I would if I had a handful of physical cards.
   
5. Do NOT use the search option. You need to “open” and “close” your digital “slip boxes”, and sort through your “Tabs” in order to replicate the mental process of “thumbing” through your tabs and cards. You can use the collapse and expand as this is the digital equivalent of opening or closing all of your slip boxes.
   
6. Do NOT use meta-data or YAML coding. This is not available with physical notecards. One exception is your personal preference for hyperlinking the Table of Academic Disciplines (TOAD) number. I have opted to hyperlink to the TOAD number because a “collection” of cards will appear at the bottom of each index card. This is one way to having the cards “behind” a tab together.
   
7. Do not use shortcuts (standard) or hotlinks (custom). This means no use of Ctrl + C (copy) or Ctrl + X (cut) or Ctrl + V (paste). Also avoid Ctrl + F (find), with one exception: I use find in the TOAD to find what I am looking for. This parallels searching on Wikipedia, in my opinion.
   
8. Stay within the card self-imposed limits. This is why we have the plugin to count words for us. To set the limits, I used lorem ipsum text in word, adjusted the sizes and layouts of each card with a 0.25″ margin on all four sides, Time New Roman, 10pt font:
   
   1. For a 4″ x 6″ (portrait) stay within 275 words.
   2. For a 4″ x 6″ (landscape) stay within 250 words.
   3. For a 3″ x 5″ (portrait) stay within within 160 words.
   4. For a 3″ x 5″ (landscape) stay within 150 words. (Recommended to be used for books.)

To keep it easy for myself and since I cannot “see” the cards like one would the physical cards, I have chosen to stay within the 275-word limit.

In the next post, we will talk more about the first box – the Index Box.