Starting Your Research Project: Mind Maps

Political Art

Mind Maps link all the various terms and keywords that are used in critical theory to describe a topic or research area/subject. These terms are useful when defining the area you are interested in and for searching the catalogue and databases with.

A mindmap can clarify your main ideas, as well as drawing out new and interesting connections between them.

To make a mindmap:

● write down the keywords that define your research 

● arrange the keywords by theme, so the connections between the words are clear;

● use colour coding to define the various themes. 

Note: It’s a good idea to use single words rather than whole sentences for your keywords. And try to avoid editing too much as you work (which can slow you down from making connections)!

An example of a colour coded mind map can be found here: https://coggle.it/diagram/Vwoc0SX3QBpgz5-7/t/how-to-see-yourself

Below is an example of a map for 'Nostalgia'  

Nostalgia: A feeling of sadness mixed with pleasure and affection when you think of happy times in the past (Oxford Learner's Dictionaries)

Artists associated with 'Nostalgia' are Rachel Whiteread, Tacita Dean and Susan MacWilliams 

https://www.susanmacwilliam.com/, https://k-punk.org/hauntology-in-dublin/