Mind Mapping

Mind maps can be used to:

• Summarize information
• Convey information from different sources
• Think throught complex problems
• Present information in a format that shows the overall structure of a subject. ^[1]

Step by Step

• Take a blank paper and write down the starting concept or idea, wherever you want. It can be a good suggestion to start in the center of the paper, so that you have 360 degrees of freedom to continue your drawing, but feel free to do as you prefer.
• Be open and have a creative attitude, trying to let ideas flow and to write all of them.
• Free associate without limitating your ideas, you can always add new branches and write more information.
• Try to capture all your thoughts as rapidly as possible.
• Don't make any judgement, write everything you are thinking to.
• Allow organization, once all the idea has been added you can create links with the ones you left apart, and change the structure of your map.
• Experiment with different ways of linking and emphasising different aspects, for example using colours and highlighters.

Practical Tips

• Use single words or simple phrases, they can convey the same meaning of a long sentence but they are more potent.
• Use coulours to separate different concepts, this will make the map easy to remember and will help showing the organization of the subject.
• Use symbols and images, that are easier to remember the words.
• Use corss linkages, since information in one part of the drawing may relate with other on the other side of it.

Freemind

Source:

http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

Description:

• Software to download (10.4MB)
• Possibility to link documents and external web-sites
• Ramification only horizontal, with no freedom to change the structure and to connect nodes far from each other

CMAP Tools

Source:

http://cmap.ihmc.us

Description:

• Software to download (63 MB)
• Possibility to link documents and external web-sites
• Free structure, it can be developed in vertical or horizontal. Two nodes far from each other can be connected. There is supposed to be a label on every connection between two nodes

Mindmeister

Source:

http://www.mindmeister.com

Description:

• Available in two versions : Basic one for free, Premium is to pay
• On-line application, not available when offline
• Possibility to link documents and external web-sites
• Ramification only horizontal, with no freedom to change the structure and to connect nodes far from each other

Bubbl.us

Source:

http://bubbl.us

Decription:

• On-line application, not available when offline
• Impossible to link documents, only link to external web-sites is permitted
• Free structure, it can be developed in vertical or horizontal. Two nodes far from each other can be connected.

VUE

Source:

http://vue.tufts.edu

Description:

• Software to download (58.1 MB)
• Possibility to link documents and external web-sites
• Free structure, it can be developed in vertical or horizontal. Two nodes far from each other can be connected. There is the possibility to add a label on every connection between two nodes

Compendium

Source:

http://compendium.open.ac.uk/institute

Description:

• Software to download(32.28 Kb)
• Possibility to link documents and external web-sites
• Free structure, it can be developed in vertical or horizontal. Two nodes far from each other can be connected. Every node has to belong to a category (question, decision, argument, idea...)

Wisemapping

Source:

http://www.wisemapping.com

Description:

• On-line application, not available when off-line
• Impossible to link documents, only link to external web-sites is permitted
• Ramification only horizontal, with no freedom to change the structure and to connect nodes far from each other

Mind 42

Source:

http://www.mind42.com

Description:

• On-line application, not available when off-line
• Impossible to link documents, only link to external web-sites is permitted
• Ramification only horizontal, with no freedom to change the structure and to connect nodes far from each other