Research & Finding Information

Mind maps provide a structured way to organise information and develop new ideas. They can help you to understand complex topics by breaking it down into its component parts, or to visualise how information fits together.

As a student, you can use mind maps for:

• Note taking and knowledge mapping
• Brainstorming ideas
• Essay planning
• Exam preparation

Mind maps are also useful tools for your research. They can help you to see connections across a topic, leading to new ideas, new questions and new areas for further exploration. You can use them to identify which elements of your topic you want to focus your searching on.

1. Start with a piece of blank unlined paper. Mapping is a non-linear process and lines could affect the progression of the map.
2. Write your central idea in the middle of the paper. This could be a phrase, a word or a couple of ideas which are the main basis to generate new ideas and to fit thoughts together.
3. Use your background reading and own knowledge to break down your 'central idea' into themes, sub-topics or even questions. Write these around your central point. Ideas can be closely or distantly related to the central idea.
4. Use arrows or branches to link them to main topic or to each other. 
5. Write clearly and space out the different elements of your map. This will provide room for it to grow and develop.
6. Be creative and use visuals, if this helps. You can include doodles, images, different fonts or colours in your map. For example, if you are comparing two artists, you could highlight information related to each in a different colour. You could also use colour or capitalisation to indicate the relative importance of ideas.

Once you begin to write, try not to pause, but to keep with the flow of thoughts and ideas. Don't worry if all the information on the page does not all link straight away as further links and groupings can be made later on.

Once you have stopped, look over your mind map:

• Is there any more you could include? You may wish to include some explanatory notes, questions or comments on your map which relate to a possible idea or to the relationship between one or more of the ideas.
• Are there any connections you may have missed? It's okay to connect your ideas at a later point.