The way I remember [] before () is that [] is "basic" and square and () is "refined" and curvy. Seems silly but it helps me.
i still have to look up the format for images every time.
More generally in this post I find Markdown has a pretty short learning curve, is highly readable and logical (EG. I like the number of `#` for level of headings). My biggest issue with Markdown is the different interpretations and how they're represented. Eg. Github vs. someplace else vs. Markdown-viewer apps. Org in comparison looks more concise, but less readable, IMO.
In plaintext you'd have a claim (and parens directing you to see the citation at citation.com).
In hypertext you'd have a [claim](and a link to citation.com).