Mind Mapping

So once you have narrowed your topic down, what do you do with that narrowed topic? Eventually you will come up with a research question, which is a process that we discuss in the next chapter. But before we get to that stage, it’s helpful to spend some time thinking about what aspects of your narrowed topic are most interesting to you. One way to do this is through mind mapping.

You can create a mind map with paper and pencil, using an online drawing tool like Google Drawings ⧉, or with a specialized tool like Coggle ⧉. The basic idea is that you put your narrowed topic in a circle in the center of the page, then draw lines to connect it to related ideas. We recommend that you organize your mind map using the 5Ws (who what when where why), like this:

Your “what” is your narrowed topic. After you’ve filled that in, think about the following questions.

• Who is affected by or involved with your topic? For example, does your topic apply differently to . . .
  • People of different ages (e.g. kindergarteners versus retirees)?
  • People with different socioeconomic status (e.g. families below the poverty line versus the ultra-rich)?
  • People of different races (e.g. white people versus BIPOC)?
  • People in different types of jobs (e.g. blue-collar versus white-collar workers)?
  • People with different family and living conditions (e.g. young singles versus multi-generational families living together)?
• Where are places affected by your topic? For example, is it different in . . .
  • Different countries?
  • Different regions of the United States?
  • Areas with different climates?
  • Urban versus rural areas?
  • Areas with different political leanings?
• When is the time period you want to look at? For example, is your topic significantly different if you look at . . .
  • A historical time period, such as the 16th century?
  • The last five years?
  • The time since a major historical event, such as the COVID-19 pandemic?
  • Times when different politicians were in power, such as during a specific presidential administration?
  • Times when a major shift occurred in an industry, such as when office workers started using computers?
• Why is your topic important? Is it . . .
  • Driving positive or negative changes in behavior?
  • Causing specific cultural phenomena?
  • Changing the socioeconomic or political landscape?
  • Bringing major changes to the way people live or work?
• Additional questions you can ask:
  • How?
  • Are?
  • Do?
  • In what ways?
  • Under what circumstances?

As you get deeper into brainstorming, you may discover additional subtopics. Ideally, your topic map should have at least three levels. If you’re not there yet, keep thinking! Here are a couple of examples of mind maps in progress:

Before you write your research question, make sure that you have a detailed mind map with at least three levels. When you write your research question, you’ll be glad that you already spent time thinking about what aspects of your topic you want to focus on.