Mind mapping

I've been chatting with students about essay outlines recently. I always stress the same things:

1. start your research early
2. do not wait to begin writing until after you have finished researching; the two things should proceed in parallel
3. begin by interrogating the question: What is it getting at? What are its assumptions or embedded concepts?
4. answer the question as completely as you can in not more than two sentences. That's your thesis statement.
5. work to an outline

(Related earlier posts on the subject of essay writing and marking)

But many people find writing outlines difficult. Normally this is because they fail to resolve on a thesis before embarking on one which means as a result that the outline ends up more as a list of points related somehow to the question but not organized in a way which actually points to an answer. Personally, I tend to use a fairly linear list approach with my own outlines. However, non-linear mindmaps are frequently said to be a better way, although it takes some getting used to. On this site about mindmaps you'll find an on-line mind-mapping tool which looks potentially useful--though I wonder if doing it this way defeats the purpose of non-linear thinking, paper and pencil seems more appropriate. And there's also a tool for reordering lists if you prefer to go old school which looks very handy.