Hello,

Welcome back to another Q&A on this last Tuesday of the month. I appreciate seeing what interests you, so thank you for your questions and please continue to ask.

Today’s question is:

Certainly. I’m happy to discuss mind maps. In the context of indexing, I think creating a mind map is about taking a step back and seeing the index as a whole.

What are Mind Maps?

A mind map is a visual exploration of a topic or question. It can be used for different purposes, such as to brainstorm, summarize, or gather related information. It is a simple exercise, quickly done, to provide clarity before moving forward with whatever the larger task is.

To create a mind map, begin by writing the central topic or question in the center of a piece of paper and draw a circle around it. Then write related ideas around that central bubble and draw circles around those. Use lines to connect bubbles, to represent interconnected ideas. Expand outwards as needed. While mind maps can be as detailed as you want, I find, because of the limitations of a page, that mind maps work best when focused on the bigger picture. I am seeking to understand the main ideas and themes within a book and index. Keep ideas short. Beyond linking ideas, there is no need to try to rank or otherwise organize bubbles. The mind map is meant to grow organically, as ideas and relationships present themselves.

That is more or less what a mind map is. Here is an example of a mind map I wrote for an index I recently finished, on immigration in Canada.

There are several resources online (see, for example, a written description here and a video here) so I won’t go into further detail. Several apps are also available for creating mind maps, but I find pen and paper work just as well. Once I’ve organized my thoughts, I rarely keep the mind map beyond the project.

Mind Mapping as an Indexing Tool

I find mind mapping works best as a reflective tool. Once I’ve completed the rough draft and before I begin editing, a mind map is a chance for me to review what the book is about and how all of the main topics fit together. I can then compare the mind map to the index. Do all of the main topics have arrays? Does the structure of the index makes sense, given how topics relate to each other? Where are cross-references needed? Is there anything I need to add, adjust, or remove as I edit the index?

Mind maps can also be used at other points of the indexing process, particularly at any point in which you feel stuck. You could try a mind map when beginning the index, perhaps after reading the table of contents and introduction, to clarify the main topics you need to look for and to begin thinking about structure. A mind map may also be useful at the end of the indexing process, as a final check that all topics are accounted for and that the index structure makes sense. A mind map can also be used for a subsection of the index, if you are struggling with a specific chapter or concept. A mind map doesn’t take long—maybe five minutes—so feel free to experiment and create one at any time you need to take a step back and check in with yourself and the index.

I think the value of a mind map is that is creates an opportunity to stop and reflect. The limited space on the page enforces big-picture thinking because there is not enough room for all the little details. As indexers, we can be prone to missing the forest for the trees. I’ve seen this in my own work and I’ve seen this in the work by other indexers. We can get so focused on picking up or editing the details that we lose sight of what is relevant or of how topics relate to each other. We may commit to a strategy that doesn’t really work because we haven’t stopped to think of how it fits within the larger index. Taking a moment to stop and map out topics and relationships is a way to take a step back, reflect, and see how everything fits together. With that renewed clarity, we can more confidently move forward with a plan to reach the finished index.

A mind map is not the only tool for taking a step back. Sometimes, instead of creating a mind map, I will instead write a one-paragraph summary of the book. I use the template: “This book is about…. The main topics/themes are…. The book also discusses….” This allows me to quickly sketch the metatopic, supermain discussions, and anything else that seems relevant and I want to include in the index. For example, for another index I recently wrote, I would have written this:

This summary tells me that both the pediatrics department and Children’s Hospital need separate arrays and that I need to be careful to distinguish them; that I should include an array for the history of pediatrics; and that much of the book—and index—should focus on the people, diseases, and specialities discussed, though I also need to be careful about length. Having the big picture in mind should help guide my editing decisions so I can finish the index more quickly and effectively. (As it happened, I misjudged the length and had to go back and cut more than I wanted, but the above does reflect how I conceptualized the book and prioritized entries in the index.)

Building in time for reflection is important when writing an index. Indexing requires so many decisions. It can be easy to get lost in all of the details. Being able to step back and regain perspective is a valuable skill, and mind maps and summaries are valuable tools for doing so. Gaining clarity about what the book is about and how the final index should look will help you index more effectively and efficiently.

Yours in indexing,

Stephen