mind map thesis

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How to Create a Mind Map for Essay Writing

Last Updated: December 1, 2023 Fact Checked

Generating Your Map

Organizing your map for writing, expert q&a.

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 285,899 times.

If you’re a visual learner or just looking to switch up how you outline your essays, mind maps can be a game-changer. They make coming up with ideas for your essay and organizing them super easy. If you’ve never used a mind map for essay writing before, don’t worry—we break down everything you need to know to get started in the steps below.

Things You Should Know

• Get out a piece of paper and write your topic in the center. This can be a single word or sentence.
• Then, write down any words and ideas that relate to your topic. Circle them and then draw lines or arrows to connect them to the topic.
• Label each bubble idea according to where it fits into your paper. This can be a specific paragraph or a general section, like the introduction.

• Lay out the colored markers or pencils to which you have assigned meaning.
• Orient your paper so that it is in landscape position.
• If you don't have colored pencils or markers, don't worry. You can still make a mind map with just a pen or pencil!

• Circle your topic.

• Each thing you write down may give you another association. Write that down as well. For instance, writing "Impairment vs. disability" might remind you of "wheelchair ramps."
• Try to cluster related thoughts together ("wheelchair ramps"—"access to public life"), but don't worry if it doesn't always happen—you can draw a line between things you wish to connect.
• Look for connections between your unrelated thoughts and jot them into the picture.

• You might also label them "supporting argument," "evidence," "counterargument" etc.

• Include doodles if they occur to you, but again, don't get caught up in making them perfect.
• Depending on your age and essay topic, you might want to focus more on drawing pictures than writing out words.

• While there are plenty of programs available for purpose, you can also use free online mapping tools like Bubble.us, Mind42, or Coggle.

• Add details as you go. For instance, you may write some of the sources you are planning to use to the sections of your essay to which they apply.

• If you do this, you can start by drawing bubbles for the sections and continue by filling in the thoughts and associations.
• You can also organize your revised mind map into bubble for topic sentences that branch into smaller bubbles for supporting arguments and evidence.
• Once you've done this, you practically have a rough draft of your paper.

• Start each paragraph with a sentence that introduces the ideas of that paragraph, and write until you have incorporated all the information for that section.
• If you end up adding things that weren't on your map, look at your map to check that they fit, and consider penciling them in. One of the virtues of the map is that it keeps you on topic.
• Make sure you're not cramming too many points from your mind map into a single paragraph.

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/sites/default/files/docs/learningguide-mindmapping.pdf
• ↑ https://emedia.rmit.edu.au/learninglab/content/how-create-mind-map
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/using-concept-maps/
• ↑ Jake Adams. Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist. Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.

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How to Use Mind Map In Writing – A Thorough Guide

This guide is brought to you by Zen Mind Map, the simplest mind map maker.

Before we can delve into using a mind map for writing, we must first understand what a mind map is. Apparently, there are many self-published authors who launch successful book releases by a creative writing exercise called mind mapping.

Mind mapping is one of many idea-generating strategies that rely on the association, which then comes out as a diagram with figures, facts, concept maps, phrases, keywords, etc. Overall, it is a powerful writing habit inspiration, especially for first-time authors.

There can never be two similar mind maps, even if you use the same mapping software . However, there are some arbitrary steps that you must follow for this approach:

• Choosing a central idea
• Creating ideas connecting to this subject
• Adding in colors / images to associate with these ideas
• Rearranging the map so that it doesn’t look confusing
• Reviewing and storing the map for a subsequent writing process

How To Use Mind Map For Writing Process?

Using a mind map to find your topic, choose the central idea .

Indeed, the very first thing to do is to decide on the backbone of your essay, which is the subject. The best approach is to pick a topic that allows you to provide new findings/conclusions. 

The ideal topic should interest you, as it makes the process much less unbearable. At this stage, put something like “My Essay” in the center of your piece of paper.

Write Down Areas Of Interest (Potential Topics) 

The next thing to do is surround the center with ideas, which is very easy if you have some mind mapping tools. They can range from suggestions from your professor, subjects discussed in class to anything relevant.

Subsequently, quickly start noting down some areas in which you find interesting - They can be anything, as it does not need to be related to the main topic at this step strictly. Remember to use mind map templates with a clear color scheme.

All you need to do is write down anything that pops up in your mind, preferably instinctively. 

Review Their Relationships/Intersection 

Now you have two sets of branches, one being the relevant ideas and the other being your personal interest. Find areas where these two sets intersect with each other.

This process results in a set of ideas that are both relevant to your goal and your interest. 

Weigh Them Against Each Other With Pros And Cons 

The next step is to weigh every idea in the set, analyzing each idea’s pros and cons. 

Start The Elimination Process

Start the elimination process once you get the pros and cons of every single concept. Compare the list of advantages and disadvantages carefully, but mostly on the disadvantages. 

Yet, remember that challenges are inevitable, but they should never hinder you from turning in your work.

Eliminate the choices until there is only one.

Using A Mind Map Standard To Compile Research Materials

Make a new branch for each source .

With this approach, the topic will be listed in the center of your map, and the child branches will be the secondary sources. From these branches, create smaller ones consisting of the secondary source’s topic, central idea, and quotes.

This method most benefits projects that do not require you to focus entirely on primary source material. Instead, find other similar types of writing and present the link between them to enforce your point.

Make A Branch For Each Area Of Your Topic

There are some involvements from the secondary sources, but they are not prominent.

Note everything you need onto the map while working through the source’s text. You need to work a lot more, but the payback will absolutely be worth it. 

Using A Mind Map To Layout Your Outline

You will get a well-structured thesis outline out from the mind map. It allows you to generate a coherent structure consisting of examples, quotes, arguments, counter-arguments, etc., without losing grasp.

The visual representations of mind maps mean that you can quickly review your outline whenever you need to. All it takes is one look, and you can track your entire text structure from the thesis statement.

However, there certainly are some specific things that you need to pay attention to for a better creative process:

• Put a link between each topic with a corresponding research map created independently. 
• Next, put in some notes or deadlines at each level, ensuring that the writing project is never behind schedule. 
• Going over the deadline is always the clearest sign of bad writing.
• The last thing to do is export your finished mind map for easier access.

The Rules Of Mind Map For Writing Process

• The subject you want to discuss should always be at the center of the map. 
• Branches should be going out, each representing one single idea relating to the subject.
• The last rule to keep in mind is the use of visuals such as images, icons, and color themes. They will serve as mental triggers, sparking more ideas within your brain to create a positive loop within your brain.

What Are The Benefits Of Mind Map For Writing?

• Newbie authors will have a complete overview of the entire topic and a clear flow of ideas. 
• The second benefit of mind maps is that they let you see how the main topic connects with its supporting pieces. This results in an easier time planning resource materials and when to use them.
• Finally, this approach provides a much more enjoyable and attractive format to supply information to your brain. You will, in turn, remember the information more clearly, improving your writing potential.

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• How to create a mind map

There are three steps to mind mapping.

Step 1: Brainstorm

A brainstorm is a thinking process commonly used in study and work situations. It can be done individually or in a group.

How to brainstorm

• Use a piece of paper to write down everything you can think of about a particular topic.
• Write the name of the topic in the centre of the page.
• Do not try to organise the information at all - the purpose is to get it out and onto the page.
• Use key words or phrases to write your ideas.
• Always use the paper horizontally as this way you can fit more information.

Example 1 - Brainstorm of the topic 'History of antibiotics'

Step 2: Organise the information

Organise the information in the brainstorm by identifying the main categories and linking the other information to those as follows:

• circle the main categories
• connect sub-points to main categories
• use colours and visuals where helpful.

Step 3: Complete the mind map

Rewrite the information under headings and sub-points to make the mind map easy to read. In this example the use of graphics and colours helps clarify the mind map.

Here is an example of how you might structure a mind map for an essay topic.

• The best mind mapping software

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Writing a Research Paper

• Choose Your Topic

Library Research Guide

• Evaluate Sources
• Organize Your Information
• Draft Your Paper
• Revise, Review, Refine

How This Helps Me

Developing a topic carefully will help you:

• Save time and frustration
• Think about the proper context for your topic
• Cover most of the angles of your topic
• Make your thesis easier to write

Identify Information Gaps

When developing your topic, you'll probably find that you have a lot of questions. It's important to identify information gaps that may exist when you set out to focus your topic. 

In Carlock's book Developing Information Literacy Skills , she encourages students to ask the following questions when identifying such gaps:

• What do I know?
• What do I not know?
• What would I like to know?

Carlock advises students to identify information gaps, or what you don't yet know, in the form of questions using how, who, when, where, what, and why . For example, if you've chosen social media  as your topic, try asking yourself some questions that will help you identify those gaps. Try creating columns to illustrate what you do and do not know about your topic. 

• What are the common ways children engage with social media?
• What kind of mental health effects exist when children engage with social media?
• Where are health practitioners seeing the most concern when it comes to children's mental health and social media--boys, girls, nonbinary or transgender children, etc? 

What do you know about your topic? What do you think you need to know? What have others said? 

What I do know/what I think I need to know/what have others said

• I know that mental health is a huge concern for the k-12 set, especially post-pandemic. 
• I saw on the news recently that social media is a huge contributing factor in the children's mental health crisis. 

You might have a long list of items under each column. That's OK! Asking yourself these types of questions will help you identify areas of focus and help you narrow your topic to something that's more manageable. 

Create a Mind Map

Mind mapping is a tool you can use to develop a research question or topic you want to explore in greater depth. For example, after creating a mind map about genetically modified foods, you might ask:

• Does eating commonly modified foods create adverse health effects?
• Are genetically modified foods important in expanding the world's food supply?

After doing more research on your topic, your thesis statement will help you talk about specific points you're exploring in your paper. 

Mind map for genetically modified foods 

Mind map created with bubbl.us

There are many mind map tools out there on the internet. Below are a few of those tools that have a free version--all free versions will have some use limitations. 

• Bubble.us Create up to three free mind maps with this tool.
• Canva A popular design tool with lots of users across the globe. Use it to create mind maps and other design based projects.
• MindMup Create an unlimited number of maps up to 100KB.

Select Your Topic

Watch this K-State Libraries video (4:34) for help choosing your topic.

Video transcript

Developing a Research Topic ( K-State Libraries )  CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Find Background Information

Databases, reference books, encyclopedias, handbooks, almanacs, and certain websites are all good starting points for finding background information, and can also help you narrow your topic. 

• CQ (Congressional Quarterly) Researcher Plus Archive Find information on hot topics in CQ Researcher. Unbiased and comprehensive, most articles have graphs, statistics, and viewpoints from various perspectives on an issue.
• EBSCOhost eBook Collection Paid for by K-State Libraries Offers thousands of scholarly, reference, and professional full-text books in electronic format. Titles range across virtually all academic areas. Users can search for individual titles or perform full-text searches across multiple titles. Many books may be downloaded for use on portable devices.

Develop Your Thesis Statement

Use the following sources to help you write your thesis statement:

• Developing Your Thesis Statement From the University of Wisconsin, this website is an in-depth look at how to develop a thesis statement.
• Tips & Examples for Writing Your Thesis Statement Always a great source for citation, Owl at Purdue also has information about formatting your thesis statement as well as helpful examples.
• How to Write a Thesis Statement From Indiana University, tips include how to tell a good thesis from a bad one and how to develop your thesis whether a topic is assigned or not.
• << Previous: Home
• Next: Find Sources >>
• Last Updated: Feb 27, 2024 1:56 PM
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XMind Talk: How Does Mind Mapping Help with My Bachelor's Thesis

Aug 14, 2020

As a student majored in applied psychology, Rose has been using XMind for 2 years. As a member of the class of 2020, she has been facing pressure from graduation and job. In today’s read, she will be sharing how she used XMind in her study and paved her way for graduation.

Tell us about yourself and what are you working on right now?

My name is Rose, and major in applied psychology. It’s been a tough year for the Class of 2020. I was occupied by job interviews and bachelor thesis before graduation, and luckily most things were perfectly done.

How long have you been using XMind?

I’ve been starting using XMind in 2018.

It was in a class called General Psychology, and the professor used mind map for explaining the concept of Cognitive Psychology.

Mind map is useful for visualizing information:

• Central idea is the issue itself;
• When the issue occurs, a hierarchical mental schema will be generated in brain automatically;
• Fill in the steps in the solution process in to the schema.

The professor also introduced other mind mapping software, I’ve chose XMind after trying different products. It’s free to download and the features in trial version is good enough. The built-in templates are great for new-comers, and I was astonished by the mind maps in the gallery. It was smooth when I created my first mind map in XMind, thanks to the simple but intuitive interface.

How does XMind help with your campus life?

Generally speaking, I use XMind for building knowledge systems, assignment, and my bachelor thesis.

Build Knowledge Systems

Psychology is an interdisciplinary subject that uses knowledge in many fields such as mathematics, physics, biology, neurology, medicine, and sociology.

From the perspective of the individual and the external environment, we will explore the question of "why do people think/behave like this", such as personality psychology, social psychology, abnormal psychology and other interesting facts that everyone likes to see.

Neither observations nor brain inference is enough, we also need experiments or questionnaire data. In the course Experimental Psychology, we get to understand how the classic experiments are designed, then we use Eprime (a programming platform for psychology experiments), and we also find participants for the experiment.

I use Fishbone for recording the courses. It helps me to observe my progress, so that I can understand the purposes of this course. Not to mention how XMind helps for the final exam.

I divide a book into different chapters, and record them in different sheets of a single XMind file. Reading an XMind file is like reading the summaries of different chapters which enhances the memory.

Group Assignment

Most of the assignments are group work. When working as a team, the personal performance will not be evaluated separately,

When working as a team, the individual performance will not be evaluated, and that’s why the enthusiasm and efficiency of each other reduce. In social psychology, it is called the social loafing effect.

This situation is common, so I started to use mind maps for devision and recording of the group assignment for avoiding the loafing effect, and it turns out mind mapping also works!

The 3 features are frequently used in the group assignment are:

Logic Chart - Break down the tasks Icon and Legend - Notify the tasks of different group members Boundary - Mark deadline and process

Bachelor Thesis

I started with jotting down the process of finishing the thesis which also includes the process of research.

Insert Image and Hyperlink are quite helpful. The image helps me to identify the difference in different models and graphs, which relates to my hypothesis and conclusion.

A mind map filled by paragraphs is not a good mind map. This happened when I was thinking if I should put analysis in previous documents on the mind map which is a bit too much. Hyperlink is a great solution here. I simply use it to link the documents and I can always find it whenever I need.

The mind map helped me a lot since the beginning of my bachelor thesis.

Better Research and Writing

Since the time is limited for research, experiment and writing, and that’s why tracking and knowing the process is significant. With the mind map, I can always find where I am, record everything down, and know the next step is so that I can prepare in advance.

Track and Solve Problems

My professor also worked with different students at the same time, so it might be hard for him to memorize what we discussed last time. I always brought and showed him the mind map of my thesis so that the professor knew why and where the problem came, and we could figure out a solution together.

Presentation with Confidence

I made the PPT based on my mind map, and it was surprisingly easy since I’ve memorized the mind map subtly during writing the bachelor thesis. The presentation went smoothly as well, and I could answer the questions from the professors confidently.

How do you improve your mind mapping skills?

I keep using XMind after landing my first job, and mind maps have been a part of my life: weekly report, meeting notes, presentation, etc.

I love the mind maps that are Simple and Clear, and the principles I’ve insisted are as bblow:

• More Sheets
• No more than 4 levels in one sheet
• Key word instead of sentences
• Using Relationship, Boundary, Summary, etc. for displaying logical relationships

Another thing I’ve been training is to make beautiful mind maps, like those in the Library. I’ve been practicing the layout, and harmonizing the colors.

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Mind maps and Annotated Bibliography

Sep 21, 2021

Making mind maps is difficult when it is not yet known what I’m working on, but it’s also a critical step of figuring out what to work on. I created a few mind maps to help me figure out what I’m working on. The first one is an unstructured attempt, with lots of ideas and thoughts floating around in the textual ether.

To help visualise the future, Nishra and I worked on a Futures Cone. The resulting map in itself isn’t as interesting as the conversations we had during the making of it. These discussions were immensely helpful in helping me understand what I want to work on.

The second attempt at a mindmap was far more structured, building off from the futures cone and the unstructured map

Annotated Bibliography

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Student blogs

Thesis writing 101: essential tools and apps to make your life easier.

Writing a thesis requires careful planning, organization, and execution. Fortunately, there are numerous tools and apps available to help streamline the writing process, increase productivity, and ensure that your thesis is well-crafted. As a student wrapping up the experiments and writing the master’s thesis, today I will write about the tools that I’ve been using that helped and supported me a lot during the last few months.

Reference management

Keeping track of references and citations is an essential aspect of thesis writing. Reference management software like Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote can help you efficiently organize your sources, create bibliographies, and cite references in your thesis according to your preferred citation style. I use Zotero which is free, easy to use and has an add-on for Microsoft Word. Personally, the add-on has been a life-saver, as I don’t need to keep track of the citation numbers or style and can change all these things with a click. All of these tools also offer features such as PDF annotation, and collaboration options (if you want to share the articles you have found with your supervisor).

Writing and editing

Most KI students are international and most of us use English as our second language, so it is normal to make grammar or spelling mistakes. However, writing a thesis requires clarity, coherence, and precision. Writing and editing tools such as Grammarly, Hemingway Editor, and ProWritingAid can help you with these kinds of mistakes. I use Grammarly to catch these mistakes early on. However, all these tools offer suggestions for sentence structure, grammar errors, and word choice, allowing you to refine your writing and convey your ideas more effectively.

Mind mapping

If you are stuck in your writing process, mind mapping can be a valuable technique for this. I use it while brainstorming ideas with my supervisor, and structuring my thesis outline. There are numerous tools like XMind, or Freeform (free app on Mac). However, I usually use paper and a pen (not always have to be Gen-Z 😂) to sketch ideas and have a mind/road map. I definitely recommend this technique if you are struggling with how to structure your thesis or ideas in your head.

A good calendar is always needed to be time efficient. It is good to not forget your tasks, but also it is a good indicator of whether you are living a balanced life or not. I use my calendar daily and add everything I might forget immediately. There are lots of calendar apps out there, however, I got used to Google Calendar and now it is my lifesaver. I suggest trying out apps or writing down your daily schedule.

Backup and sync

Protecting your thesis work from loss is essential. Backup and sync tools like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive (KI students have a subscription to this) provide reliable cloud storage solutions for backing up your thesis documents and ensuring that your work is securely stored and accessible from anywhere. These tools offer automatic syncing and version history, so if you accidentally delete something you always have a way to save it :). In addition, I use these tools to file share with my supervisor as some of the data that I produce are too big to store on my own computer.

Note-taking apps

Gathering and organizing research materials is an integral part of thesis writing. Note-taking tools like Evernote, OneNote, or Notion provide a centralized platform for capturing ideas, taking notes, and storing research findings. Notion app can get a bit complicated, so try to learn how to use it efficiently before the project starts :). For easy use, I use Google Docs to take notes since I’ve discovered some add-ons that are very helpful on that app and it is also directly synced to my accounts. It is very important to utilize note-taking tools as you don’t want to miss out on anything you did 3 months ago while writing your thesis.

Hope you will find some of these tools useful and write a great thesis! Good luck with your experiments/writing!

If you have any questions you can drop a comment below or send me an e-mail.

See you in the next blog!

Yagmur - Molecular Techniques in Life Science

My name is Yağmur, and I am from Turkey. I am a student on the Master’s Programme in Molecular Techniques in Life Science. Living in Sweden and studying at KI started as a dream, yet here I am (my life motto “everything is possible” still holds until further notice). In my free time, I like watching movies and listening to music from all around the world. I enjoy sharing my experiences in life. So, if everyone is ready, welcome to my blog and let’s begin the journey…

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Mind Map Gallery Thesis Statement Mind Map

Thesis Statement Mind Map

This Thesis Statement Mind Map is a visual representation of your ideas, opinions, and thoughts. It assists you in contextualizing your vision and drawing inspiration from it to guide your writing direction and craft the language and terminologies that best express your vein of thought. Thesis Statement Mind Maps can be extremely useful in assisting you in selecting an appropriate thesis statement for your essay. Mind-maps aid in developing an understanding of the text you are attempting to write. A visual map of ideas, whether hand-drawn or created with computer software, is a fun way to organize your thoughts and assertions into one easy-to-read format.

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Thesis StatementExamples

Domestic Violence

Gun Control

Global Warming

Leadership is a part of enormousself training and discipline.

An aggressive conduct is almost "power'racism.

Modern rapid way of life becomes on of themain causes of depressive condition.

Self-defense measures excess should involvecriminal responsibilty.

Slavery is a pathetic illustration of the evilhuman essence.

The innccent chidren don't to berespcesible for your mistakes.

Stop of azone layer destruction will help tostop climate change.

If your husband is the abuser, you need todivece him.

PhD tool: Map out your PhD

We know that steady everyday progress is a crucial factor in finishing a PhD. In previous posts, we have seen productivity techniques to support us in taking more of these daily steps. Yet, a lot of walking does not necessarily get us anywhere. We need to know that we are actually getting past key reference points, closer to our final destination. In this post, I propose a diagramming exercise to map out key obstacles, milestones and the “everyday fuel” that propels us past them in our journey towards PhD completion.

The idea for this exercise comes from the doctoral and supervisor workshops about progress that we have been doing since 2019, both in Estonia and in Spain. Despite the big distance (geographic and cultural) between these two countries, we noticed a common pattern. Doctoral supervisors that seemed to be “on top of things” in supporting their students to progress towards completing the PhD, mentioned in passing that they had a clear plan, a “ map of the PhD” that they discussed with their students and helped them know how far they were from the destination. This got me thinking: is there a way we can help PhD students make sense and track their progress at a higher level , a sort of “10,000-meter view” of the doctorate?

In a previous post, I have talked about a diagram that helped me (and many other students –now doctors– around my old lab in Spain) to conceptualize, define and refine the main concepts and contributions of the thesis (the CQOCE diagram ). Yet, that diagram provides no idea about the process until those contributions come to fruition. And it says absolutely nothing about the biggest risks and pitfalls to watch out for.

Enter the map of the PhD…

Mapping out the PhD… step by step

The map of the PhD will guide us in the long journey through uncertain terrain that is research. Think of it more like a medieval map, rather than a nice, modern map of roads and cities.

Not the kind of map I'm talking about

A map of this kind has three types of elements: milestones (reference points), obstacles (places to avoid), and fuel stations (inns and villages where we get the energy and nourishment needed to go from one milestone to the next). Below, I illustrate these elements with examples drawn from the workshops, but keep in mind that:

• We need to come up with our own elements, for our own field, research topic and our own personal strengths and weaknesses.
• Even if we brainstorm at the beginning many elements of each kind, it is useful to prioritize and simplify the map so that it contains only the 4-8 most important elements of each kind: the ones we need to focus on the most.

The Milestones

Brainstorm and select what are the most important reference points in the PhD process. These are events or actions that will happen only once or rarely during the doctorate, which are crucial to know that our thesis is going somewhere. Examples could include:

• to write and present the thesis project,
• to complete the literature review of the thesis (including a synthesis of the main gaps detected in it),
• to perform a research/lab process reproducibly,
• presenting our results at a conference,
• designing a study that is considered feasible by the supervisors,
• having your first journal article published,
• having the CQOCE diagram of the thesis be considered final/stable by the supervisors,
• completing a draft of the analytical overview (sometimes called kappa ) of an article-based thesis,
• doing a research stay abroad

… or anything else relevant for our particular thesis. The order of these milestones may or may not be important. The milestones should probably have scientific or learning relevance (rather than being bureaucratic in nature, like the yearly attestation process happening in some doctoral programs, where the contributions/content is not really discussed). Also, try to come up with milestones of different kinds (i.e., do not just put “write article 1”, “write article 2”, … etc.).

Here be Dragons (aka The Obstacles)

Again, we can brainstorm and select the most important, concrete obstacles and challenges that might prevent us from finishing the PhD. These can be internal (i.e., related to our particular personality, tendencies, or the nature of our thesis project) or external (i.e., economic or social factors, or unpredictable but probable events that may influence our progress). A nice way of brainstorming these challenges is to do (alone or with a group of fellow students) a " premortem 1 of our thesis " . Our initial brainstorm can be pared down to the 4-8 challenges that we deem most likely to happen, catastrophic, or difficult for us to overcome. Example obstacles could include:

• Procrastination (internal)
• Too much stress or anxiety (internal)
• Vague or non-existent thesis project (internal)
• Overwork and burnout (internal)
• Poor post-PhD outlook demoralizing us (internal)
• An experiment provides bad results (external)
• Technical problems in running an experiment (external)
• Getting too little (or too much?) guidance/supervision (external)
• Toxic department/laboratory atmosphere (external)
• A global pandemic cancels our research stay (external)

So far, we have been talking about clearly meaningful but infrequent events that either give us a big push forward… or send us down a cliff. Yet, between these milestones months apart, there is the everyday . The PhD is a long-distance race, and such distances are covered one step at a time, day after day, getting up and doing more of the right things and less of the not-so-good stuff.

Following the medieval journey metaphor, I see these everyday actions as the inns at the end of a day’s march, providing a bed and a dinner, which enable us to recover and continue walking the next day. These are much more frequent, often smaller, actions or habits we take on and do every day… or things we put in our “not-to-do list” . Be it through doing or not doing them, they help us avoid the obstacles and make sure we hit the milestones. I’ll say it again, these can be very personal.

People often focus this “fuel” part too much on events that they cannot control . That sort of fuel is a sure recipe for getting stranded in the middle of nowhere. An example could be “get a paper accepted”, as opposed to “submit a paper we are happy with” – the latter being much more under our control. While there can be a certain element of chaos or randomness in getting to milestones, and in the obstacles that pop up on the way, our fuel should be as much as possible under our control (e.g., focusing on our own behavior, rather than other people’s actions or judgements).

Also, make sure that fuel is frequent enough: daily is best for developing habits, but weekly could also work. If we decide to leave a less-frequent fuel piece in the map, we can think of it as a sort of “occasional turbo boost ”… we still need most of our fuel to come from more conventional, frequently-available sources.

Example fuel items may include:

• (Feedback during) Regular thesis-oriented meetings with supervisors,
• Discussing our work with external researchers,
• Writing results reports after each study,
• Reading research in our area regularly and writing syntheses/reflections about them,
• Writing new concepts regularly in our lab notebook,
• Solving particular technical problems,
• Learning new lab techniques,
• Writing regularly,
• Teaching others a method we know,
• Taking time off with family/friends regularly,
• Any habits related to exercise, good sleep or nutrition

A few additional notes on the mapping process

That’s it! Now we have all we need to start mapping out our PhD. Do it using pen and paper, or copy this Google Drawings template I created.

Example map of the PhD template

Update (23.06.2022): We have now added a “map of the thesis” template you can copy to our PhD Toolkit (under the “Conceptualizing your dissertation” section).

A few more ideas about how I would go about doing it:

• We can do this exercise alone, but it would be even better to do it together with other PhD students in our area/lab/department (that’s what we do in the workshops I mentioned at the outset).
• Every research area (and sub-area, and sub-community) is different. Also, every person is different: we all have different strengths and weaknesses that may play out during the PhD. Hence, even if we do a map together with others, we may want to tweak it for our own particular case later on.
• No matter how good our initial map of the PhD is, it will probably benefit from suggestions and feedback from colleagues and supervisors (especially, more experienced researchers that have seen many doctoral processes in our area). We could show them the whole map, or just ask a few questions about its elements: what is the most common reason you have seen PhD students fail? what habits helped get you through your PhD? what would you say are the most important milestones in a PhD in our field? Etc.
• The map is just another tool to help us reflect about the PhD. I would use it sparingly, maybe just at the beginning of the PhD (or in the first meetings with a new PhD student, if you are a supervisor), or in less-frequent reviews and self-reflections (e.g., once a semester). If we focus on this goal-oriented view too much or too frequently, it runs the risk of making us excessively obsessed with the destination… while the PhD is also a process to enjoy in its own right!

We could take the map metaphor further (what would be the equivalent of alternative routes? or scenic spots? or …), but this is the simplest exercise I could come up with that still provides a complete idea of the dissertation process.

Just do it. See if it helps you decide what to focus on for the next stretch of the way.

Did you try out this exercise? Did you do it alone or with fellow students? Let us know how it went (you can even share links to your resulting maps), in the comments area below!

Header image by Wikimedia Commons

Klein, G. (2007). Performing a project premortem. Harvard Business Review , 85 (9), 18–19. ↩︎

Luis P. Prieto

Luis P. is a Ramón y Cajal research fellow at the University of Valladolid (Spain), investigating learning technologies, especially learning analytics. He is also an avid learner about doctoral education and supervision, and he's the main author at the A Happy PhD blog.

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