Knowledge Forging Methodology
Knowledge Forging Methodology (KFM) is a set of principles, approaches and best practices developed to create a standard for writing CKBs, in collaboration1. It is based on an adaptation of existing approaches: Zettelkasten, Ever Green2 and Map of Content3. The methodology is used in the in_progress/Raw/Dashboard project.
# Workflow
KFM is based on a sequential processing workflow and modular information structuring. Modularity is the process of breaking up incoming texts into minimal logical units, from which texts are then assembled.
Raw4 is unstructured, written down thoughts, ideas and sketches in theirs PKBs by team members5.
Forging: Raw6 processing. Notes are polished, compressed, and taken out in Zettels.
Assembling: merging/grouping Zettels by 5Ws into Content Boxes by topic (catalogue).
Tool: merging Content Boxes into MoCB. The result is a finished instruction or scenario. More details at in_progress/Process.
in_progress/Raw/Automation: development of an algorithm/script based on an instruction or scenario.
The main principle of the KFM is the approach when CKB authors provide only a minimally sufficient set of related extracts that allow readers to quickly and efficiently find the information they need7. A selection of links and sources in the references (footnotes) helps to delve into the required level of understanding8.
The links between notes in the CKB are often more important than the information itself. Zettels’ insertion approach during CBs assembly explains this relationship.
Links between MoCBs require explaining through references and footnotes so that the reader can understand the context that the author had in mind when writing.
Shortly after starting The Experiment, I began to use KFM to maintain my PKB ↩︎
What Is Evergreen Content? Examples, Do’s and Don’ts, and More ↩︎
A concept proposed by Nick Milo. Learn more on Linking Your Thinking ↩︎
Inspired by “How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life”, John C. Maxwell ↩︎
Notes can be stored in Google Docs, Evernote, Obsidian, etc. This stage is a “purgatory” of thoughts and sketches of ideas that often do not move on to the next stage of the workflow ↩︎
I highly recommend to stick to Progressive Summarization: A Practical Technique for Designing Discoverable Notes ↩︎
I.e. the task of the authors is not to throw out everything they know in the CKB, which turns the knowledge base into an impenetrable info-jungle in which it is difficult to find something: can’t see the forest for the trees. Their task is to provide interconnected reference points, jumping over which the reader can easily find what he/she wants ↩︎
The meaning of the experts during the building of the CBK is not in the creating a wiki, but provide an expert selection of the best sources and linking with other topics, in order to understand how and with what the current text is connected ↩︎