Keep each source in its own context
A lecture and a reading can stay as separate, editable notes with their own attached material instead of being copied into one oversized document.
Connected study library
Link lecture notes to readings without duplicating your work
Lecture notes often explain what matters for the course, while readings supply evidence, definitions, and detail. Keep each note intact in BrainDen, add a link where one source clarifies or challenges the other, and use backlinks to return to that relationship from either direction during revision.
Free to start No card required Your material stays connected
Name the reason for every link
Connect notes around a clear relationship such as prerequisite, example, evidence, disagreement, or extension so the link remains meaningful months later.
Follow the connection both ways
Backlinks resurface the lecture when you open the reading and the reading when you return to the lecture, even when they live in different folders.
Workflow fit
What this workflow starts with and produces
Supported starting material
- Lecture notes created from a recording, slides, photo, or your own text
- PDF chapters, journal articles, handouts, and other course readings
- Existing BrainDen notes stored in the same course or another folder
Useful outputs
- Direct links between notes that explain a specific academic relationship
- Backlinks that reveal where a reading or lecture is referenced elsewhere
- A connected topic path that can be selected for multi-note review
From source to active study
Build useful connections between lectures and readings
- 01
Create or open both notes
Keep the lecture note in its course folder and import the relevant reading as its own note. Correct titles and key terminology before making connections.
- 02
Link at the point of relevance
Add the related note where the lecture references a theory, study, example, or debate covered in the reading rather than collecting generic links at the bottom.
- 03
Use backlinks during review
Open a major concept note, inspect what links back to it, and select the small set of lecture and reading notes needed for the current exam topic.
A concrete example
Example: a psychology lecture and journal article
A lecture note introducing working memory and a PDF article that reports an experiment on cognitive load during problem solving.
A useful result could include
- A link from the lecture's cognitive-load section to the article note
- A short relationship label explaining that the article supplies experimental evidence
- A backlink from the article to the lecture where the theory was first introduced
Generated material is a study aid. Review important terminology, notation, and claims against your source.
Make the result better
Use AI as the beginning of your study process
BrainDen removes repetitive setup work. Your judgement, course context, and retrieval practice are what turn the result into learning.
Link concepts, not merely documents
A useful link answers why two notes belong together. Add it near the relevant passage and keep the surrounding sentence understandable when you revisit it.
Do not replace citations with note links
Internal links help you navigate your own library. Continue using the citation style and original source details required for academic writing and assessed work.
Prune noisy connections
Remove links that no longer help you explain, compare, or retrieve material. A smaller graph of deliberate relationships is easier to study than an indiscriminate web.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked questions
What should I link between lecture notes and readings?
Link definitions to fuller explanations, claims to evidence, theories to examples, and contrasting interpretations to each other. State the relationship so it is useful later.
Do linked BrainDen notes have to be in the same folder?
No. Notes can link across course, module, or topic folders, while each note remains in the location that best fits its primary context.
What is a backlink in this workflow?
A backlink shows that another note points to the note you are viewing. It lets you discover and follow the relationship from the opposite direction.
Does linking notes combine their content?
No. Links record relationships without merging or overwriting either note. You can select related notes later and read them together when broader context is useful.
Continue in your connected library
BrainDen features for the next step
Connect related ideas
Link notes and follow the backlinks
Folders tell you where a note belongs. Links show how its ideas relate to the rest of what you know. Connect a concept to another lecture, reading, or course and use backlinks to find the relationship from either side.
Explore this featureReview the whole topicRead several study notes together
Exam topics rarely fit inside one note. Select the lectures, readings, and explanations that belong together, then review them in one continuous view without replacing or rewriting the originals.
Explore this featureKeep building your study system
Related study workflows
College notes → Organized course library
Organize college notes by semester, course, and module
View workflowLecture and reading notes → Multi-note exam reviewReview multiple notes together without losing the originals
View workflowPDF → Study notesTurn a long PDF into structured study notes
View workflowUse the material you already have.
Start with lecture notes and a course reading, create a connected note, and choose the study tools that help you understand and remember it.