concept mapping :: the process

1. Collect keywords (from your own knowledge about the topic and from briefly researching the database and recording keywords found).

2. Categorize (group) the collected keywords.

3. Use the categories or groups as main concepts, and organize keywords as sub-concepts.

4. Brainstorm relationships between main-to-main concepts, main-to-sub concepts and sub-to-sub concepts.

5. Draw lines to connect these relationships.

6. Point out what creates their relationships, with a few words on the connecting lines.