When you’re tasked with a research project it can be hard to know where to start. Often you will spend more time coordinating your sources than on the actual research itself. Getting your notes together, saving links to relevant facts and organising your results can be an arduous task. With the added pressure of working in a team and hitting deadlines, a research project can soon become an overwhelming and dreaded task.
Whether you’re investigating a new business idea, exploring concepts for an academic project or considering travel options for a long-overdue vacation, iMindMap is an invaluable research tool. Keep your workspace clutter-free and your stress levels low with these 5 examples of how iMindMap can streamline your next research project…
One of the most common problems of handling a professional or educational research project is managing your different tasks. Overcome this challenge by creating a quick action plan using iMindMap 10 Ultimate’s Time Map View. Add milestones to represent major checkpoints in your project, such as sourcing literature, reviewing data and reporting. Then add time specific sub-tasks that work towards each of these milestones. Use Swimlanes to highlight any jobs that you’ve delegated to members of your team or upload their avatar as an Icon and assign it to the task. With your next steps and deadlines clearly mapped out along a timeline, you will know exactly who is responsible for each part of the research process.
With any kind of research project, you will be required to gather a large amount of information. If you’re using word processing documents or loose paper, things will soon get messy. With iMindMap’s Mind Map View, it’s easy to gather all the essential information without getting flustered or missing something vital. Create a new Mind Map and use single keywords per branch to capture the most crucial details and consolidate reams of information onto one canvas. If your research area is vast, create multiple Mind Maps on your canvas and delve deeper into your research topic using the Multi-Maps feature. With a top-down view of all the key facts, you have an accessible and insightful overview of your topic.
iMindMap’s Tags feature might be among the most useful for research projects. If you’re looking for a quote or need a specific statistic, you can save time by using a powerful filtering system. Create Tags for whatever you need: resource type, qualitative or quantitative data or cited authors and assign them to the relevant branches of your Mind Map. Then, use the search filter to instantly locate the information you need. Plus, iMindMap supports integrations with Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote and Microsoft Office, so you can seamlessly gather every element of your research into one flexible workspace.
Your Mind Map’s framework will help common themes in your research stand out and give you a clear understanding of your subject, no matter how complex. Colour coding your Mind Map branches is an effective way to visually categorise information into key areas. If you want to keep your research concise and engaging be sure to add plenty of visual elements. iMindMap’s extensive Image & Icon Library gives you plenty of choice. Alternatively, you can upload your own images, or draw doodles directly onto the canvas using the Sketch Tool. The insert features add another layer to your research. Insert attachments such as links, images, notes, audio and video files to create a resource hub that remains hidden until clicked, keeping your workspace clutter-free and rich with all the right information.
Now it’s time to connect the dots. For any research project, drawing conclusions is the final and most important part of the task. Your Mind Map uses a unique combination of radiating branches and keywords that prompts mental connections between facts. Use iMindMap’s Relationship Arrows to highlight associations between related concepts with a digital string. A clear overview of your topic allows you to see the bigger picture, spot any gaps in your research and pick up on crucial links between ideas that may lead to that all-important lightbulb moment.
iMindMap will simplify every step of your research; from planning your project and consolidating your research, to unearthing hidden connections and categorising your findings. iMindMap puts all your hard work into one place and makes it easy to source the information you need. Its visual overview allows you to draw insightful conclusions and clearly communicate your findings to others. If you’re conducting research, either alone or in a group, iMindMap saves you time and will keep you and your ideas organised. Try it for yourself…
“iMindMap is an outstanding tool to organise, explain and create strategies, plans and brainstorms.”
Leave a Reply