LibGuides: ENGL 01A: Brainstorm for Ideas

What is Brainstorming?

Brainstorming can help you develop an idea for a topic or thesis and identify questions and keywords.

Brainstorming, mindmaps and concepts maps are terms that are often used interchangeably. They all refer to a quick, simple technique for generating and focusing ideas and making connections between concepts.

When brainstorming, don't worry about grammar, spelling, or formatting initially. Just jot down ideas until you can't think of anymore, then go back and make connections between the ideas. If an idea appeals to you, make it the center idea on a new piece of paper and brainstorm more details.

Brainstorming Tools

Popplet
A single topic can be visualized a hundred different ways, whether it’s kindergarteners exploring the colors of the rainbow, DJs building a relational “If you like this, listen to” diagram with album covers, couples doing table assignments for wedding receptions, or a CEO reorganizing her company.

Bubbl.us
Bubbl.us lets you share your mind maps easily with people or on social media. Collaborate with friends or colleagues in real time in a classroom or a business meeting and see changes to the mind map immediately.

Idea Generator
This Research Guide was created by Old Dominion University for their student's to use. However, the "Idea Generator" was first created by Cynthia Wright Swaine in 1994 as a Web-based tool to help students at ODU, both on and off campus, select topics for papers or other assignments. It quickly caught on and was used by students everywhere. "Idea generator" has become a generic term.

Topic Generator
This idea generator is not designed to GIVE you a topic. It's just supposed to stimulate your own thinking. Click around through the ideas in the maze, which cover a variety of topics throughout different fields of knowledge. If your mind is working as you click, you may find yourself led toward some subjects for your research project.

Mapping your Ideas

Brainstorming on your own

Here's an example of a mindmap. The student used colors to organize her ideas: red is the idea she started with, green are broader concepts, black are subtopics. She put a red star on the topic she decided to focus on.

Attribution: Clark College Brainstorming LibGuide located at http://libraryguides.library.clark.edu/brainstorming

Scan Sources for Ideas

news
magazines
specialized encyclopedias
SIRS, Opposing Viewpoints, CQ Researcher, Issues & Controversies
websites

Brookings - Our Research The Brookings Institute is a public policy organization in Washington, DC. with over 300 contributors. Different viewpoints are represented for the following topics: foreign policy, economics, development, governance, and metropolitan policy. Policy recommendations may be included.

TED Talks - by Topic TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) is a nonprofit committed to spreading ideas on a variety of topics. TED Talks are usually 18 minutes or less.

Intelligence2 U.S. (IQ2US) A forum for balanced and intelligent debate. See overall debate topics and associated debates.

ProCon.org A site owned by Britannica Group with the mission to promote critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship by presenting the pro and con arguments to controversial issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, freely accessible way.

Try it yourself!

Choose an idea.

Write down all the words that you can think of.
Don't be afraid to use Google to find more ideas
If you find there are way too many, cross out the ones that seem too distant
If you find there aren't enough, do a little preliminary research
This is the time to be creative!