Document your knowledge system in 5 parts: capture, processing, retrieval, review, evolution
Document system operations in five components—capture rules, processing workflow, retrieval method, review protocol, and evolution history—because each component addresses a distinct failure mode in knowledge system sustainability.
Why This Is a Rule
Knowledge systems fail at five distinct points, and each requires its own documentation to prevent and diagnose failure:
Capture rules: what triggers capture, what format, what minimum quality. Without these, capture becomes inconsistent — some insights are caught, others lost, with no way to improve the filter. Processing workflow: how captured items move from inbox to permanent storage. Without this, the inbox grows indefinitely and unprocessed items lose context. Retrieval method: how to find what you've stored. Without this, knowledge enters the system but can't be found when needed. Review protocol: when and how to review stored knowledge. Without this, the system accumulates stale information. Evolution history: what changed and why. Without this, you can't learn from past system modifications or revert unsuccessful changes.
Each component addresses a different failure mode. A system documented in only one or two components will fail at the undocumented points — reliably and predictably.
When This Fires
- Setting up a new knowledge management system
- When a knowledge system is failing and you need to diagnose which component is broken
- During system handoff to another person or future-you after a long break
- When your current system "doesn't work" but you can't articulate why
Common Failure Mode
Documenting only the tool choice ("I use Obsidian") without documenting the operations. The tool is the least important part — operations determine whether the system works. A well-operated system in any tool outperforms a poorly-operated system in the best tool.
The Protocol
Document each of the five components: (1) Capture rules: triggers, tools, minimum viable capture, what gets captured vs. ignored. (2) Processing workflow: how items move from inbox → permanent notes; frequency, criteria, quality standards. (3) Retrieval method: how you find things — search strategies, browse paths, tag systems. (4) Review protocol: cadence and scope of reviews — daily, weekly, quarterly; what gets checked. (5) Evolution history: a changelog of system modifications — what changed, when, why, and whether it helped. The five-component documentation takes 1-2 hours initially and pays back every time you need to diagnose a failure, onboard someone, or recover from a break.