Family History Research using Mapping

 Information Mapping to assist with Family History Research

Anyone who has ever become involved in researching their Family History will know that it produces a volume of data.  You start by keeping paper records, you quickly move to a database created specifically for the job, you become adept at filing and organising.  However, even with family history software (I use Family Historian) and the best filing system going, it still becomes very difficult to be able to see “the wood from the trees”.  You end up with so many unfinished bits of research that it can become overwhelming.  Worse still, if you subscribe to any family history internet groups, new enquiries come in quite reguarly, which send you off in a totally different direction.

I have recently started using Mindjet’s MindManager 7.0 Pro (which is brilliant at visualising data) and have just realised that it is the answer to the problem.  I will now be able to go through the piles of “stuff to be done” and will be able to use colours and images to “list” everything.  However, because it will have visual images, I will be able to quickly see topics of a similar nature.  I will be able to delete things once they have been resolved (and updated onto the family history sofware) as well as being able to see whether any interesting lines of enquiry are appearing.  Family history is a bit like doing a very large jigsaw puzzle (without the picture as a clue) only it is more difficult because you don’t know how many pieces there should be and you don’t know what overall shape you are aiming for.  Therefore, by having a flexible, moveable image-based Information Map I will be able to keep everything in sight simultaneously and be able to filter so that I can concentrate on one aspect at a time.

I’m sure this could prove invaluable for anyone currently researching their family history.  You can try the software (MindManager) free for a 21 day trial period:

Information Mapping (when reading a Book) will save hours …

How Information Mapping when reading a Book will save hours of research/revision time

I do a lot of reading … in fact, I do so much reading that I really wish that I were paid to do the research I undertake because I would earn quite a tidy sum.   Fortunately  I thoroughly enjoy reading but, like many others I encounter the problem of remembering everything and being able to gain immediate access to a particular point or quote. 

 

That was my problem, until I started using Mindjet’s MindManager 7.0 Pro (free 21 day trial available) and then read Jamie Nast’s Book “Idea Mapping” which gave me the two skills I needed to combine with my Microsoft Office skills … all 3 parts came together and I have now transformed how I read / record / retrieve the knowledge from those books.

When I have a new book to read I start by creating a map (an Information Map), with the Central Theme as the Book’s title, including a photo of the jacket cover, with a link to a website about the book/author.

Each Chapter of the book becomes a main branch of the Information Map and I use colour and imagery (this knowledge came from Jamie Nast’s book, which I highly recommend) to bring to life the main emphasis of that Chapter and any sub-topics.  I learnt from Jamie that to be child-like is not childish and therefore I now use images and colour to aid my memory recall.

This takes concentration because you need to :

a)      read the words

b)      assimilate the knowledge

c)       summarise that knowledge

d)      capture “author’s quotes” (perhaps using the notes area)

e)      pause and reflect on the summarised knowledge
(is it a good enough summary to revise from or has something been missed out?)
If necessary repeat items a-e, until it is as good as it needs to be

f)       find images and colours to bring it to life to aid with future memory recall

g)      Integrate with Microsoft Office Outlook to create Tasks of action points arising

Although this requires concentration I have found that it is saving me considerable time .  True, it takes slightly longer to get through the book in the first place because of items c-g above, however, I am saving myself all that unnecessary (and frankly ridiculous) re-reading to find a suitable quote; re-reading to remember what was in the book; re-reading to prepare for revision prior to an Exam; searching for and trying to interpret the scribbled notes I had written! 

I used to re-read certain books several times if I was preparing for an Exam.  Now I know that I can use the above method to read a book just ONCE, provided that I concentrate and do items c-g whilst reading.

For anyone who needs to read and remember large amounts of information  whether for academic or business purposes, I would recommend this approach.

 

Below is my first attempt at this process which I developed whilst reading Jamie Nast’s book … whenever I want to recall the key points, I simply open the map and my eyes are drawn to the various images and colours … I can also filter certain topics so that I can concentrate my revision efforts on exactly what I want to review … one page containing everything I read … immediately accessible.

 

Pink for a Girl and Blue for a Boy …

Pink for a Girl and Blue for a Boy … and it’s all down to Evolution

[article by Martin Wainwright, The Guardian]

“Women’s fondness for the colour pink is so deeply embedded that it may have been shaped by evolutionary history, according to scientists whose study of colour preferences is published today.

Rather than marking a girlie approach to home decoration or cake-icing, the trait’s roots are more likely to lie in the struggle to find food in hunter-gatherer days, the researchers suggested.

Prehistoric women who zeroed in on red-coloured fruit would have been the star equivalents of male animal-slayers, according to two British neuroscientists, who have found a consistent liking for pink in surveys of women volunteers.”

Full article available:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/aug/21/sciencenews.fashion

Vision and Detail – stay focused

Harness The Complete Power And Benefits Of Microsoft Office™ 

Do you love Mind Maps but struggle to get your team to share your enthusiasm?    Are you a list-orientated person who, up until now, hasn’t seen a purpose for mindmapping? 

What would it be like if you could create a Mind Map (to stay focused on the VISION) and then export it to, say, Outlook™ or PowerPoint™ or Word™ or Project™ so that your team could work on the DETAIL? 

How brilliant would that be?  How much time would that save? 

 MindManager 7 Pro can help you make the most of your investment in Microsoft Office, turning once static words, numbers, and graphics into strong calls for action.   

Integrating Microsoft Office with MindManager 7 Pro gives you the power to:  

• Improve project planning and status reporting with links to Microsoft Project™
• Present multiple up-to-the-date Microsoft Excel™ spreadsheets in a single view
• Create, import or export Microsoft Outlook™ items
• Improve structure and content for Microsoft PowerPoint™ presentations
• Find the most compelling way to deliver messages using Microsoft Word™
• Export workflow processes into Microsoft Visio™

Full details available from: http://www.mindjet.com/uk/

World Class Skills by 2020

Implementing the Leitch Review of Skills in England

[article from DIUS - Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills]

“On Wednesday 18th July, the Government unveiled major new plans for making our nation a world class leader in skills by 2020, aimed at creating new opportunities for citizens and businesses, and delivering prosperity for all. The plan, World Class Skills: implementing the Leitch Review of Skills in England is the Government’s response to the independent Leitch Review of Skills and sets out how Government will lead the country into a skills ‘revolution.’

Click here to download World Class Skills: implementing the Leitch Review of Skills in England (PDF file 921Kb). Alternatively, hard copies can be ordered from TSO by calling 0870 600 5522 or emailing customer.services@tso.co.uk, quoting ISBN reference: 978-0-10-171812-7.”

[article available at: http://www.dius.gov.uk/publications/publications-leitchreview.htm]

Misuse of Information Technology

[article from The Telegraph Business Club]…

10 years of an average working life spent on email with over three years wasted.An EU-wide survey commissioned by Plantronics, Inc. from the Henley Management College’s Future Work Forum with Prof. David Birchall leading the investigation, provides new insight into how managers actually use information and communications technology (ICT) within their organisations and what impact the technology is having on the enterprise in general.

The survey makes uncomfortable reading for anyone who believed new technology would automatically break down the barriers to communication, transforming organisations for the better.

[full article at:  http://www.telegraphbusinessclub.co.uk/default.asp?p_id=search&showresults=1&showarticle=2228 including a link to a downloadable Report]

Positive Podcasting

Positive Podcasting
[ article received via TrainingZone]

There’s been a surge of interest recently in podcasting among learning and development professionals. Behind the hype, though, hard information seems hard to find. Donald H Taylor outlines some ways to get started and make your mark with podcasting.

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Back in the Autumn of 2004, Godfrey Parkin wrote an introduction to podcasting for TrainingZone. The article closed perceptively:
“With a little vision and a willingness to experiment, I suspect that podcasting will rapidly find a valuable place in the already crowded chest of tools available to marketers and trainers.”Eighteen months later, Godfrey noted that while podcasts appear now to have hit the training mainstream, they are still generally misunderstood and often poorly executed. And he’s right. At first glance it does indeed seem that podcasting is now part of the training toolkit. IBM has a library of 2,700 training podcasts, and over a million downloads, while National Semiconductor has spent $2.5m on video iPods for all 8,500 employees.

But how well does this impressive performance match our own experience? Not very well. While blue-chip companies may have the resources to produce high-quality output, the general standard is indifferent at best, and many people who are interested in possibly using podcasts have little idea where to start. In fact, I’d argue that the variable quality of many podcasts stems from their production by a small group of enthusiasts, whose expertise ranges from highly professional all the way down.

And – crucially – there isn’t yet much sharing of podcasting expertise in learning and development. In June, Rob Foster asked the TrainingZone community for tips on corporate podcasting, and was underwhelmed by the response. About 450 read the question. Nobody replied.

[Full article available here] http://www.trainingzone.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=172386

Idea Mapping – Jamie Nast

Access your Hidden Brain Power, Learn Faster, Remember More and Achieve Success in Business

If you have seen my earlier posts about “Mind Mapping” you will know that I have always avoided creating mind maps because it didn’t feel right for me.  I am linear, logical, analytical – the embodiment of a LIST PERSON.  However, once Mindjet released MindManager 7.0 Pro I became much more interested because of the ability to easily LINK Outlook items (such as Tasks and Calendar appointments).  As a consequence I became involved with the MindManager User Group and subsequently purchased a copy of Jamie Nast’s book “Idea Mapping”. 

 

This was the final piece to the jigsaw and I am very excited about the possibilities.

Even if you are someone who currently isn’t inspired by mind mapping I would urge you get this book and give Jamie the opportunity to show you how you could bring Idea Mapping into your way of working. 

Prior to reading the book I had realised just how powerful it will be to be able to LINK a MindMap (created in MindManager) to a TASK (created in Microsoft Outlook) or how powerful it would be to create a MindMap and then SEND it to Microsoft Word for it to create a document.  The possibilities are endless.  However, most of my MindMaps were, frankly, boring!  They were maps created by a linear, logical brain – I was creating LISTS but in a map kind of shape.  Then I saw a webinar by Jamie and have subsequently read the book and now my maps are full of imagery and icons and they have, quite simply, come alive.

I have created a Map about a Talk I will be delivering next week; full of images, which I have used to rehearse what I am going to say – it will also be the handouts for the audience – it could also be delivered as a presentation if I wanted to.  I wrote that Talk in a fraction of the time I would have normally have created it using either Word or PowerPoint – a fraction of the time.  Now, don’t get me wrong I am not falling out of love with Microsoft Office – I never will – I am a Microsoft Master Instructor (with loads left to learn) and I love the power of Office 2007.  However, I now have MindManager to help me release my thoughts and ideas (and to capture them as they flow) PLUS I have Jamie’s words in my head so that the maps are never boring “child-like not childish” PLUS I have the full power of Microsoft Office connected to the map in the background.

By the end of Chapter 1 I was so impressed with Jamie’s ideas that I stopped reading and started the book again – this time I created an Idea Map of each Chapter as I read it – this enabled me to check out certain features of the software whilst having to really understand her topics so that I could create a visual (using images and icons) as I went along.  This required considerable concentration but I now have a completed map of the completed book.  That, to me, is invaluable.  Whenever I need to remind myself about how to do Idea Mapping (well), I can simply open the IdeaMap – the book can now sit safely on the bookshelf because the knowledge is either already in my head – or is retrievable in seconds by looking at the visual images on the Map.

Anyone who is studying or researching and needs to handle vast quantities of data – this concept is for you.

Anyone who has too many emails in their Inbox and needs to be able to delete them but still retain the data – this concept is for you.

Anyone who is happy working in LISTS but has to work with colleagues who need to SEE to enable them to visualise the data – this concept is for you.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book, especially for the sceptical, linear folk out there – Jamie’s ideas merit your time – and you will be able to judge for yourself.