How People Manage Knowledge in their “Second Brains”: A case study with industry researchers using Obsidian

Individuals involved in knowledge-intensive decision-making processes require effective strategies to manage overwhelming information, leading to the creation of personal knowledge bases. This paper examines how researchers from an industry research lab utilize Obsidian, a note-taking tool, to build and explore these bases, known as “second brains”. Findings reveal that participants' knowledge retrieval strategies significantly influence their content organization and maintenance. Based on observed behaviors and needs, we suggest potential Artificial Intelligence-driven features to enhance this process.