Scholarly Life of a Committed Technofile

There are a variety of clustering, or mind/idea-mapping, types of software available for you to use. You might use these tools to help during the brainstorming process. They might help you to organize the data and other research you have collected. They can be very useful in the organization process as well.

• Microsoft Word has a simple diagram or organizational chart tool embedded in the program. Go to “Insert” and then “Diagram” to insert one of the visuals into your document. MS Word allows you to “switch” the type of diagram being used, without changing the text you have entered. Switching up the diagrams with your information might give you different ideas on how to cluster, or organize, your ideas and materials.
• Gliffy, a free online diagramming tool (http://www.gliffy.com/), allows you to make more complex cluster maps and diagrams. Gliffy also allows you to export your cluster map as a jpeg image file so that you can easily import it into a document or webpage. With the variety of shapes, colors, fonts, etc., Gliffy allows you to construct rich visual layers to your cluster map. With Gliffy you can try giving different types of evidence (for example, testimonies, numbers/statistics, and examples) different shapes and colors. It would then allow you to not only analyze the amount of evidence you have associated with each reason, but the balance in the types of evidence as well. Gliffy also has tools that help with different types of “mapping” like floorplans and flowcharts.
• Cmap Tools is a more robust concept mapping program that you can download for free (http://cmap.ihmc.us/download/). However, it is both more difficult to use and more difficult to export your cluster/concept map products into a usable format.