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Intellectual Sourcing
Table of Contents
Cite sources in notes to trust synthesis and find the original later.
Key Concept
- I cite sources so I can trust what I wrote and find the original six months later.
- Capture is where the source lands first; Active Knowledge Curation keeps citations from rotting into folklore.
- Without a source line, I will not trust my own synthesis in conversation.
- A cited note is one I can defend months out - uncited summaries feel like gossip.
Level 1 - Recognize
Intellectual sourcing is writing down where an idea came from so you can find the book or article again and know you quoted it right.
Level 2 - Explain
Cite sources so you can trust what you wrote six months later - like labeling a box before you put it in storage.
Level 3 - Use
Tape the coach's article title under the quote in the playbook - future you can reach the original in one click, not guess if you misquoted.
Level 4 - Connect
Unsourced notes become guesses - a link or citation turns a half-remembered line back into evidence you can defend in conversation.
Level 5 - Create
Build a sourcing practice that captures the original, records the exact claim, and lets a later reader retrace or challenge your synthesis.
Examples
- I taped the coach's article title under the quote in our playbook so six months later we know if the source still says what we thought.
- My sermon notes app just says 'trust me, great quote' with no reference - six months later I cannot tell if I am misquoting the pastor or making it up.
Note Relationships
| Relationship | Wikilink | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| contradicts | Drafting in Public | when rough publish beats pausing to trace every quote |
| extends | Literature Notes | Source-first lane before synthesis |
| extends | Synthesis as a Goal | You cite sources so your own synthesis stays trustworthy six months later |
