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Index card research system
Last discussed Nov 2, 2026
Analog research method of writing quotes and notes on cards and filing them by topic.
Recently discussed in
The Normie’s Guide to Thinking About Tech
Cal Newport · Nov 2, 2026
What creators say
Cal Newport
mentioned
Used for: Organizing research for book writing
Praised: Slowness aids memory and original thinking
vs: Preferred over AI agents with RAG databases
"He keeps index cards with stories and quotes on them... By taking the time to copy these quotes or ideas onto these index cards, they get filed away in my brain... So, he would say that that system is just exactly as efficient as it needs to be."
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