I use existing terms, but I make sure I define them for myself—otherwise things get murky.
I hesitate to share my full list without defining terms, but here’s those taxonomies relevant to Zettelkasten:
- Fleeting notes
- Buffer notes
- Source notes (AKA “Literature notes”)
- Permanent notes (AKA “Zettels”)
- Higher-order notes (AKA “Structure notes”)
- System notes (AKA “Resource” or “Support notes”)
One thing I’ll say about terminology real quick is the difference between “Fleeting notes” and “Buffer notes” is somewhat trivial, as is that between “Permanent notes” and “Higher-order notes”. I’d need more time to explain further.
Of course, this is just how I feel about it at this moment. Most days, I have a hard time convincing myself any categorical distinctions are useful—and I don’t just mean note types lol