Single vs Multiple Knowledge Bases
The tradeoffs between consolidating all knowledge in one system versus separating by context.
Also known as: One vs Many Knowledge Bases, Unified Knowledge Base
Category: Principles
Tags: pkm, organizations, knowledge-management, systems, decision-making
Explanation
A common question in personal knowledge management is whether to keep everything in one place or split things up—for instance, separating work notes from personal notes.
**The recommendation**: Start with a single knowledge base, and only split when you have a compelling reason to do so.
**Advantages of a single knowledge base**:
- One place to search when you need to find something
- Ability to connect all ideas together
- Cross-pollination between work and personal knowledge
- Simpler backup and recovery
- No context switching between systems
**When multiple knowledge bases make sense**:
- Sensitive information (data confidentiality rules at work)
- Collaboration requirements where others need access
- Legal or compliance requirements
- Fundamentally different use cases with no overlap
**Drawbacks of multiple knowledge bases**:
- Context switching overhead
- More complex backup and disaster recovery
- Lost connection opportunities between domains
- Duplicated content and maintenance
For most people, the overlap between work and personal knowledge makes a unified system more beneficial than separate ones.
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