Protocol
Give changing knowledge an explicit state
A knowledge base needs state, not only storage.
When it fits
- Old conclusions remain visible beside newer evidence with no indication of which one is current.
When to avoid it
- Do not create elaborate lifecycle states for stable low-stakes notes; add state where outdated use would matter.
Why it matters
For notes that can become obsolete, use a small status vocabulary such as current, provisional, superseded or needs-review. When state changes, preserve the reason or link to the replacement instead of deleting history that may explain past decisions.
Steps
- The system can distinguish information to use now from information kept for history.
An example
A 2024 product limit remains searchable but is marked superseded by the 2026 documentation rather than silently coexisting as if both were true.
Check your result
The system can distinguish information to use now from information kept for history.
Keep this limit in mind
- Do not create elaborate lifecycle states for stable low-stakes notes; add state where outdated use would matter.
Connected ideas
Useful withArchive inactive knowledge out of the default view
Evidence and sources
Personal information management research frames the job as a lifecycle of acquiring or creating, keeping, organizing, maintaining, finding or re-finding, using and distributing information in support of future needs.
The lifecycle is descriptive and does not prescribe one folder, tagging or note-taking system.
Personal Information Management · Abstract and overview
A 2026 systematic review treats personal information management on desktop and mobile devices as affected by multiple human and technological factors rather than a single organization technique.
Available summary does not justify ranking specific PIM tools or methods.