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.