@argentum : So let’s assume that the system implemented is the simpler and more conservative FR from @WhiteNoise (as I said in that thread, I would be already very happy if that one is implemented: with the ideas below, it would fit 95% of my needs).
So according to this proposal, bibliographical information is stored in a json or bib file managed outside of Obsidian. For example:
@book{Polchinski:2005:StringTheory-1,
title = {String Theory: Volume 1, An Introduction to the Bosonic String},
shorttitle = {String Theory},
author = {Polchinski, Joseph},
date = {2005-06-02},
publisher = {Cambridge University Press},
isbn = {0-521-67227-9},
pagetotal = {424}
}
I can now cite this book in any note using Pandoc-style citation, for example some markdown would be (for the moment, forget about Obsidian UI):
# How to get a headache
A famous introduction to string theory is [@Polchinski:2005:StringTheory-1]. Blabla too much complicated maths [@Polchinski:2005:StringTheory-1, page 251], let's instead go for a walk.
Now let’s see how this could be used/rendered in Obsidian.
First, one can (optionally) create a literature note associated to this source, where one can write anything on the source (remarks, computations, errata, references to other works, etc.). Metadata are added/updated in the yaml frontmatter from the json/bibtex bibliography file, following some template (which also defines how filename are created). The important point is to use the citation key (without @) as one of the alias. For example:
---
alias:
- Polchinski:2005:StringTheory-1
author: Joseph Polchinski
title: String Theory: Volume 1
date: 2005
---
# Polchinski - String theory: Volume 1 - 2005
## Erratta
Author's errata can be found at:
- https://www.kitp.ucsb.edu/joep/links/joes-big-book-string/errata
Currently, this is exactly what the citation plugin is doing.
Second, in Obsidian edit mode: the text [@Polchinski:2005:StringTheory-1] would be hyperlinked to the literature note above, if it exists. If it does not exist, clicking would create a literature note as explained above).
I don’t see to what else one could link: since the bibliography is defined in an external file. Information on the citation can be displayed in a side pane, as suggested by @WhiteNoise (it’s a fantastic idea). The only doubt is how hovering over the link would behave exactly: I would think that the best is to show first the bibliography information, then the preview of the literature note (if the option is enabled).
When starting to write @, auto-completion is done using information from the bibliography file (to account for sources which don’t have a literature note yet).
According to this point of view, the graph view would show a link between any note citing a source and the corresponding literature note (if it exists). I could also imagine a special type of nodes representing citations, so one node for each source in the bibliography file (the node name could be the citation key, and hovering over it would show the detailed information) – very much like the tags.
The point of all this is that I want to retrieve very easily any thought I had on the given source.
Third, Obsidian preview mode. The preview is generated by Pandoc and the list of references is put at the bottom of the file (following pure Pandoc rules). Moreover, if a literature note exists for a given item, the link is added in parentheses at the end of the line in the reference section. For example (I am writing the code in html to show that it’s a preview mode):
<h1>How to get a headache</h1>
A famous introduction to string theory is [1]. Blabla too much complicated maths [1, page 251], let's instead go for a walk.
<h2>References</h2>
<ul>
<li>[1] Joseph Polchinski. “String Theory: Volume 1” (2005). (<a href="Polchinski:2005:StringTheory-1">literature note</a>)</li>
</ul>
The point for which I am not sure of what’s best is what happens when clicking on [1]. A first option is to bring to the bottom of the page to the corresponding item in the reference section. From there, the literature note can be accessed. Another possibility is to show two links on hover, one to the bottom and one to the literature note. Yet another way is to add a symbol next to [1], which links to the literature note (for example [1]📰).
Finally, in export or publish, the result is pure Pandoc (so no link to the literature note, no additional text in the reference section, etc.) because only the citations and corresponding bibliographical matter. The content of the literature note is there only for private purpose and linking information from different notes together (which explains why I think it should be there inside one’s Obsidian vault, but not when sharing).
To summarize, Obsidian is before all a way to link information. For a given bibliographical element, this includes both citations and notes on the element. These are clearly different, but both are necessary to have a complete knowledge of the element in question.