What is Roam Research?

Roam Research is a note-taking tool built around bi-directional linking and block references. Unlike traditional note-taking apps, Roam structures knowledge as a graph of interlinked blocks. It's popular with researchers, writers, and knowledge workers who follow the Zettelkasten method or similar evergreen note approaches. Reading and annotating source material carefully is the first step in a Roam workflow.

Why convert source PDFs to EPUB before adding to Roam?

Reading in PDF is uncomfortable on most screens — fixed layout, small text, awkward zooming. Converting to EPUB lets you read on a Kobo, Kindle, or Readwise Reader with comfortable font sizes and highlight tools. Highlights exported from these apps can then be imported into Roam as block references or daily notes, maintaining the source link for bi-directional lookup.

How do I import highlights from an e-reader into Roam Research?

The most common pipeline is: convert PDF to EPUB → read in Readwise Reader or Kobo → export highlights via Readwise → import into Roam via the Roam/Readwise integration. Readwise syncs highlights from Kindle, Kobo, Readwise Reader, and Apple Books, then formats them as Roam-compatible blocks with source metadata. The integration pushes highlights to your Roam graph automatically.

Does Roam Research support direct PDF annotation?

Roam supports PDF embeds but annotation within Roam is limited compared to dedicated tools. Most Roam users prefer to annotate externally (Readwise Reader, Kindle, Kobo, or Zotero) and import highlights. Converting your PDFs to EPUB first lets you use the full feature set of these annotation tools before the highlights land in Roam.

What's the difference between a Roam Research and Obsidian PDF workflow?

Both tools benefit from the same reading-first workflow: convert PDF to EPUB, read and annotate, export highlights. The difference is in the note-taking app. Roam uses block references and bi-directional links in a cloud database; Obsidian uses markdown files in a local vault with the Dataview and Templater plugins. Readwise integrates with both. The EPUB conversion step is identical.

Roam Research Workflow: Convert PDFs to EPUB for Annotated Reading and Bi-Directional Notes (2026)

Updated June 2026 · Research

Roam Research is built for bi-directional, networked note-taking. Most primary sources arrive as PDFs that are uncomfortable to read and annotate on screen. Converting to EPUB first — then reading on an e-reader or Readwise Reader — gives you a clean annotation environment. Highlights then flow into Roam automatically via the Readwise integration, complete with block references and source metadata.

PDF-to-Roam reading pipeline

Step	Tool	Output
1. Find source PDF	arXiv, PubMed, JSTOR, Semantic Scholar	PDF file
2. Convert to EPUB	toolkit.bot	EPUB file
3. Read and annotate	Readwise Reader / Kobo / Kindle	Highlights + tags
4. Sync highlights	Readwise	Roam-formatted blocks
5. Write evergreen notes	Roam Research	Bi-directional block references

Why EPUB is better than PDF for Roam reading

Clean highlight export — PDF highlights on two-column academic papers often mis-select text across columns. EPUB is linear, so highlights capture exactly what you selected.
Readwise Reader EPUB support — upload your EPUB directly to Readwise Reader. Highlights sync automatically to Roam without any additional steps.
Comfortable long-form reading — Kobo and Kindle with EPUB give you adjustable font size and night mode for extended reading sessions.
Source metadata preserved — toolkit.bot preserves the document title in EPUB metadata. Readwise picks this up and uses it as the source title in your Roam highlights.

Setting up Readwise → Roam integration

Subscribe to Readwise (readwise.io)
In Readwise settings, connect your Kindle account, Kobo (via CSV export or plugin), or use Readwise Reader directly
In Roam, install the Roam/Readwise integration from the Roam Depot or via the Readwise Roam plugin
Highlights appear in your Roam graph automatically, tagged by source and date
Add block references and bi-directional links from your literature notes to evergreen notes

Frequently asked questions

What is Roam Research?: Roam Research is a note-taking tool built around bi-directional linking and block references. Unlike traditional note-taking apps, Roam structures knowledge as a graph of interlinked blocks. It's popular with researchers, writers, and knowledge workers who follow the Zettelkasten method or similar evergreen note approaches. Reading and annotating source material carefully is the first step in a Roam workflow.
Why convert source PDFs to EPUB before adding to Roam?: Reading in PDF is uncomfortable on most screens — fixed layout, small text, awkward zooming. Converting to EPUB lets you read on a Kobo, Kindle, or Readwise Reader with comfortable font sizes and highlight tools. Highlights exported from these apps can then be imported into Roam as block references or daily notes, maintaining the source link for bi-directional lookup.
How do I import highlights from an e-reader into Roam Research?: The most common pipeline is: convert PDF to EPUB → read in Readwise Reader or Kobo → export highlights via Readwise → import into Roam via the Roam/Readwise integration. Readwise syncs highlights from Kindle, Kobo, Readwise Reader, and Apple Books, then formats them as Roam-compatible blocks with source metadata. The integration pushes highlights to your Roam graph automatically.
Does Roam Research support direct PDF annotation?: Roam supports PDF embeds but annotation within Roam is limited compared to dedicated tools. Most Roam users prefer to annotate externally (Readwise Reader, Kindle, Kobo, or Zotero) and import highlights. Converting your PDFs to EPUB first lets you use the full feature set of these annotation tools before the highlights land in Roam.
What's the difference between a Roam Research and Obsidian PDF workflow?: Both tools benefit from the same reading-first workflow: convert PDF to EPUB, read and annotate, export highlights. The difference is in the note-taking app. Roam uses block references and bi-directional links in a cloud database; Obsidian uses markdown files in a local vault with the Dataview and Templater plugins. Readwise integrates with both. The EPUB conversion step is identical.