Note taking with org-roam

Updated: 2023-11-13

Add nodes connected to references via citar

When citar-org-roam is installed then you can use citar-open-note with SPC n b to add notes to the selected reference. This will open a list of your references in Zetoro database.

The ROAM_REFS will be added automatically in the property drawer to link the selected reference. You could also edit the citar-org-roam-note-title-template to your taste as explained here.

Add nodes via roam capture

I need to document the basic work flow using org-roam. As far as I understood so these are the basic steps. Suppose you want to write note for an idea you have:

• Start with org-roam-capture or SPC n r n to create a node with a selected capture template. Buffer will be close after the capture and back to previous buffer.
• Use org-roam-node-find or SPC n r f to open a node or creating it if doesn’t exist just like org-roam-capture. Write the node ie. filename. The buffer with the node will be open after capture for further notes taking, and not going back to the previous buffer. This is the different between org-roam-capture.
• Type the title for the node file of the idea you have. Filename isn’t crucial since connection is via title and alias.
• Use org-roam-ref-add or M-SPC m m o r to add URL reference if relevant. Else you should use citar-open-notes with SPC n b via citar-org-roam-mode if it’s a pdf file that is already in the Zetoro bib file.
• Write the note for the idea and link with other nodes using org-roam-node-insert or SPC n r i. Link can either by selecting title or ROAM_ALIASES.
• You should make template to capture when using org-roam-capture or org-roam-node-find. Meaning if the node is a default with specified default template or reference with ref template etc.
• Use org-roam-buffer-toggle or SPC n r r to display the relationship for the nodes.
• You can add tags with org-roam-tag-add for easy searching or clustering of notes by topics. Header with +filetags: TagName will be added.
• You can add alias to the node with org-roam-alias-add for easy referencing instead of using the whole title. When inserting nodes, the alias name will be the displayed link instead of title.

Some references

This blogs give some basic idea of org-roam

• Discovering org-roam
• Note taking with org-roam

For a more involved guide can be found here:

• Dotdoom of HaoZeke
• Dotfile of WouterSpekkink
• Academic Doom config