A short reference such as “ibid.” can look like a complete citation when copied into a notebook. By itself, however, it depends on the sequence of notes in the edition where it appeared.
Before saving the reference, trace it back to the full work being cited. Record the author, title, edition and relevant page or section when available. Preserve the original note number too, so another reader can check how you resolved the shorthand.
An invented example makes the risk clear. Note twelve cites one book; note thirteen says “ibid., 46.” If you copy only note thirteen and later place it after a reference to a different book, the shorthand appears to point somewhere else.
Do not assume that every shortened reference follows the same convention. Read the publication’s system, particularly when several works by one author appear nearby. An abbreviated title may carry information that a surname alone would lose.
If the chain remains unclear, mark the reference unresolved instead of choosing the most plausible book. A tentative identification can be useful, provided it is not silently promoted into a source you have consulted.
The aim is to make your research note portable. It should remain understandable after the surrounding page has closed and after other notes have been added. A few additional bibliographic details now can prevent a later quotation from acquiring the wrong source through nothing more dramatic than a change of order.
Editorial illustration from the site library.