What is Mind Mapping?
Mind Mapping is a learning tool that can be used to flush out your ideas and organize your thoughts using a diagram. You take your central idea and write out what you know about that particular area. Ask the who, what, where, and why questions surrounding your topic area. List key people, date ranges, policies, and even geographical areas that influenced the development of your topic area. Creating a mind map gives you the space to remember what you know, and find gaps for what you would like to learn. It is a process that builds confidence in the research process and provides a guide for you to use while searching online and within the databases. It is a great addition to your search strategy rule book.
Hazel Wagner | TEDxNaperville
Topic Development From a Different Vantage Point
Choosing a topic can be difficult - where do you even start? Below are some videos and tutorials that will help you to understand the research process and how to settle on a topic for your paper that you can further research. Remember - be flexible when doing research - the topic you start with may change by the time you write your paper!
NOTE: These tutorials are only available for currently enrolled LSU students, faculty, and staff. When attempting to access tutorials from off campus, users will be prompted to login to their myLSU Account.
Download the MindMap and WordBank
Download Concept Mapping Guide by Center of Academic Success
Mind Mapping and Word Banking
Word Bank
In addition to mind mapping, a word bank is a great tool to use as you are searching online. During your background research process, you will come across various phrases and terms that journalist, experts, and scholars use to discuss your chosen topic. Utilizing this tool helps build a bank full of key words and search terms that can be used interchangeably with boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT or AND NOT) to search for records within the databases.
The Difference Between MindMapping and Concept Mapping
What is a concept map?
It gives the relationship between individual ideas, words, or images that create a bigger picture. They depict requirements, cause and effect, and contributions between items. Concept maps are the best tool for developing logical thinking, breaking down complex systems, and understanding specific ideas' roles within more prominent topics. - Mind Manager.com
African and African American Studies Librarian
Online Mind Mapping Tools
Literati by Credo : Virtual MindMap
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new windowCredo Reference is a general reference solution for learners and librarians. Offering 551 hundred highly-regarded titles from over 70 publishers; Credo General Reference covers every major subject. Credo Reference is an online reference service made up of full-text books from the world's best publishers. Whether you're working on a research paper, trying to win trivia or just curious, Credo Reference has something for you.