Intro: So I’ve been busy writing papers recently and, after a lot of experimenting, I’ve come up with a workflow which I like using mind maps to collate the literature and plan the paper’s structure. It would probably work well for other spatial thinkers so I thought I’d write it out:
1] Work out the topic area you want to write about. Start gathering relevant papers as PDFs.
2] For each paper, go through it highlighting the relevant parts to the paper you’re thinking of writing (I use Acrobat Pro).
3] Create a mind map, Xmind free version is the one I use. For each paper, create a new node on the left* side of the mind map. Branching out from the node, summarise the paper relevant to your planned paper in a series of points.
4] When you’ve got a fair few papers noted in this way, start planning the structure of the paper on the right side of the mind map. Each major section, (introduction, conclusion, methods etc.) gets a node of its own.
5] Branching out from each of the section nodes, write notes on what you will write. Don’t write actual text at this point.
6] Now start populating the right hand side with references from the left hand side. This will drive you to rewrite the detail on the right hand side.
7] Now iterate adding new papers as needed, incorporating them in the paper structure on the right and editing the paper structure.
8] When you’re mostly happy with the structure run through all the papers one by one reviewing their relevance and seeing where they could be fitted on the right where they haven’t already been added.
9] Now repeat but run through the structure on the right hand side reviewing every branch. You should be moving structure nodes around in the structure, deleting them or adding detail as necessary.
10] The paper writing is now just a matter of execution, write it starting at the introduction using the structure on the mind map as a guide. The abstract should wait until last.
Structure first: The advantage of this is that it encourages you to fix the large scale structure of the paper before getting into the actual sentences that make up the paper. If you can decide a node is not needed and delete it in the mind map then you’ve saved yourself the work of writing it out in full and then having to delete it.
Map of your paper: I also like the process of panning around a mind map editing things, it appeals to me to work spatially in this way rather than the more ‘linear’ scrolling up and down a long document.
Short study times on the train: A final advantage was that I used iAnnotate to highlight papers (step 2) on my iPad writing notes on apple notes. This can be done on a short journey such as a half an hour train trip. I’d later import the notes into the mind map.
*or the right, if you prefer. You’d just switch the structure over to the left as well.