How to Build a Personal Knowledge Base

You know so much about many things, but all of that knowledge is currently locked in your brain. You might have some notebooks with disorganized scrawlings or your favorite sources, but none of it is clearly laid out. If you know how to create a personal knowledge base, you can display that information understandably.

A personal knowledge base lets you gather your thoughts and organize them. All of the notes you took and the research you have done are kept on the knowledge base. The knowledge base also includes your subjective understanding of the information. This way, you can develop your ideas and share them with others.

Beginning Your Knowledge Base

Once you have an idea of what your personal knowledge base will include, it's time to get started. To begin with, you will create a root document. This will serve as your overview of the whole knowledge base. Write the general knowledge you have on the topic here and include base resources.

After you have your root document written out, you can start to get more detailed. First, you will make sub-documents that break down your topic further into more categories. In each of these sub-topics, include all the finer points of your knowledge. Then, add more specific sources on these that answer certain questions or dive into details.

You can also build an action list to help you keep track of what needs to be done. The action list is just a checklist for your personal knowledge base. For example, you can make a checklist of sub-topics you want to write about or areas you still need to research. It can even be a list of goals to complete. It can be anything that will help you stay focused on your work.

Keep Your Personal Knowledge Base Updated

Once you have completed your personal knowledge base, do not forget about it. One of the main benefits that set knowledge bases apart is their continued growth. After you have compiled everything you know unto the knowledge base, it can be easy to think you are done and abandon it. This limits the usefulness of the knowledge base as it is meant to continue to grow as your knowledge grows.

Growing your knowledge base means adding new information to it as you learn it. Sometimes this means new information you found on your own, but a peer can often give you insight. If you share your knowledge base with your friends, they may spot a mistake or teach you something new.

By updating your knowledge base with new information, you are developing your ideas. As you add new information, your understanding of your subject will grow. Everything you have already learned will still be there, and you can simply build on top of it. You won’t have to waste time researching again for a refresher since it will all already be waiting for you.

When you share your knowledge with your peers and keep it updated, your knowledge base results in an invaluable information source. Since you included knowledge from your friends as well, your knowledge base is many people's collective understanding of that topic. By returning to it with any new information and refining it, you make sure it never loses relevance.

Personal knowledge bases are simple yet irreplaceable tools for gathering information. Lightmap is the best website for creating these tools. It is easy to use whether you are a beginner or an expert. Also, It allows you to share your knowledge bases with anyone and get feedback. You can sign up for free here.