Mind Mapping

MIND MAPPING

A Learning methodology that consists of drawing diagrams used to represent words, ideas, tasks, processes or other items. It is a non-linear way of organizing information and a technique that allows to capture the natural flow of ideas about a central topic. Each idea or fact is written down and then linked by lines or curves to its major or minor (or following or previous) idea or fact, thus creating a web of relationships. Its purpose is to focus attention, and to capture and frame knowledge to facilitate sharing of ideas and concepts.

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]

Designing a Mind Mapping

Step by Step

Generate a topic, which will be the focus of your thinking. The topic should be no more then a few words.
Take a blank paper, or, if you are using a software, open a new document, and write down the topic, 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.
To better identify and visualize the starting idea you can draw an image, using different colours.
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 colours 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.

Web Resources

In the table below there is a list of mindmapping tools. All of them are free-sources. You will also find some basic information about them, like if they are downoladable or on-line application, what kind of features and which degree of freedom in constructing the map they offer. By clicking the visualization image you will be able to see a sample map.

Tools	Type of Application	Special Features	Structure
Freemind	To download (1,51 KB)	Link to files and web-sites	Ramification only horizontal. No freedom to change the structure.
CMAP Tools	To downlad (1,62 KB)	Link to files and web-sites	Free structure. Every arrow connecting two nodes is supposed to contain a label
Mindmeister	On-line. Two versions: Basic for free, Premium to pay (4$ per month)	Link to files and web-sites	Ramification only horizontal. No freedom to change the structure.
Bubbl.us	On-line	Link to web-sites, impossible to link files	Free structure
VUE	To download (1,51 KB)	Link to files and web-sites	Free structure. Possibility two add a label on the connection between two nodes.
Compendium	To download (1,58 KB)	Link to files and web-sites	Free structure. Every node has to belong to a cathegory (question, decision, argument, idea..)
Wisemapping	On-line	Link to web-sites, impossible to link files	Ramification only horizontal. No freedom to change the structure.
Mind42	On-line	Link to web-sites, impossible to link files	Ramification only horizontal. No freedom to change the structure.