Notes: Techniques in Organizing Information

A. BRAINSTORMING

  • Definition: A group creativity technique by which efforts are made to find a conclusion for a specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously contributed by its members.

  • History/origin:

    • Popularized by Alex Faickney Osborn in the 1953 book, Applied Imagination.

    • He developed this technique because he was frustrated that his employees could not come up with useful techniques when working individually.

  • Note on additional tips:

    • FOUR BRAINSTORMING TIPS SUGGESTED BY MARK NICHOL IN DAILY WRITING TIPS (details not provided in transcript).

A.1. CUBING

  • Strategy: Examine a topic or idea from 6 viewpoints.

    • a. What is the topic?

    • b. What is it like or unlike

    • c. What does it make you think of?

    • d. What constituent parts is it made of?

    • e. How can it be used?

    • f. How can you support or oppose it?

A.2. FREE WRITING

  • Technique: Keep writing without worrying about errors in spelling or grammar.

  • Objective: Write what comes to mind; set a quantitative goal (e.g., 500 words or more).

  • Process: Review what you have written later to identify a specific topic that would interest you.

A.3. LISTING

  • Technique: List down what comes to mind.

  • Use: If the aim is to generate topics to write about, enumerate them.

  • Important reminder: Do not list ideas in an outline form because an outline requires organizing items and thoughts, which is contrary to brainstorming.

A.4. MAPPING

  • Also known as: Clustering and webbing.

  • Description: A graphic form of listing that involves jotting down ideas on a large writing surface and making connections by associating similarly themed ideas with color-coded circles or underlines, then linking related ideas with lines.

B. GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS

  • Definition: A graphic organizer (also known as knowledge map, concept map, story map, cognitive organizer, advance organizer, or concept diagram) is a communication tool that uses visual symbols to express knowledge, concepts, thoughts, ideas, and the relationships between them.

  • Main purpose: To provide a visual aid to facilitate learning and instruction; helps writers present ideas and focus on relationships between ideas and other details.

B. TYPES OF GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS WHICH YOU CAN USE IN WRITING

B.1. CONCEPT MAPS

  • Purpose: Graphically illustrate relationships between two or more concepts and are linked by words describing their relationships.

  • Example (conceptual relationships):

    • OXYGEN → give → TREES → give → WOOD

    • is important to → is important to → is used to → build/make

    • Plants, Animals, Houses, Humans, Paper, Furniture (illustrating interrelated ideas)

B.1. CONCEPT MAPS (EXAMPLE DETAILS)

  • The diagram shows how various concepts are connected by linking phrases such as "is important to" and "is used to" to express functional or causal relationships.

B.2. WEBS

  • Purpose: Web diagrams show how different categories of information relate to one another.

  • Example categories (as listed):

    • Political, Events, Literature, Music & Art, Historical Period, Human Rights, Exploration, Inventions, People, Influential (Some labels in transcript are garbled; these represent related domains).

B.3. MIND MAPS

  • Definition: Visual representations of hierarchical information that include a central idea surrounded by connected branches of associated topics or ideas.

  • Example (mind map content from transcript):

    • Central theme related to HEALTH/LIFE BALANCE with branches such as REGULAR HOURS, EXAMS, SLEEP, STRESS, DIET, EXERCISE, RELAXATION, SET GOALS, HEALTH, etc.

  • Purpose: To organize related ideas around a central concept in a non-linear, readable format.

B.3. MIND MAPS (EXAMPLE CONTENT)

  • Sample topics shown in transcript include: REGULAR HOURS, EXAMS, SLEEP, STRESS, DIET, EXERCISE, GOALS, HEALTH, RELAXATION, WALK/REST, etc.

B.4. FLOW DIAGRAM OR SEQUENCE CHART

  • Definition: A graphic organizer that shows a series of steps or events in the order in which they will take place.

  • Uses: Outlining events in a story or showing a procedure in a scientific process.

B.4. FLOW DIAGRAM OR SEQUENCE CHART (EXAMPLE)

  • Topic: ADMISSION PROCEDURE

  • Steps (example): Medical examination → Documents verification → Admission → Hostel; Fee deposit; Fee bill; Decision points such as Yes/No verification and admission status.

B.5. VENN DIAGRAM

  • Use: Identifies similarities and differences between two or more concepts.

B.6. ORGANIZATIONAL CHART OR DIAGRAM

  • Definition: A chart that shows the structure of an organization.

  • Example structure (as listed): Quality Department, Chairman, Vice Chairman, Human Resources Department, Legal Affairs Department, Construction Department, Financial Affairs Department, Marketing, Sales & PR, Recruitment, Evaluation, Quality Control, Quality Assurance, Civil Engineering, Mechanical/Electrical/Engineering (and related roles).

B.7. PIE CHART

  • Definition: A circular graph divided into slices to illustrate numerical proportion.

  • Example: Diet breakdown

    • Fruit: 30 rac{ ext{} }{ ext{}}%

    • Protein: 23 rac{ ext{} }{ ext{}}%

    • Vegetables: 18 rac{ ext{} }{ ext{}}%

    • Dairy: 15 rac{ ext{} }{ ext{}}%

    • Grains: 9 rac{ ext{} }{ ext{}}%

    • Other: 5 rac{ ext{} }{ ext{}}%

  • Note: Percent values are shown in the transcript in separate lines next to category labels.

B.8. GRAPH

  • Definition: A collection of all points whose coordinates satisfy a given relation. The most commonly used graphs are the line graph and the bar graph.

B.8 a. LINE GRAPH

  • Description: Line graph representing data over time.

  • Example (from transcript): "Number of People in a Store" across times from 10 am to 6 pm, with data points such as approximately:

    • (10:00, 25), (11:00, 22), (12:00, 20), (13:00, 15), (14:00, 15), (15:00, 5), (16:00, 2).

B.8 b. BAR GRAPH

  • Description: Bar graph showing data over categories or time.

  • Example (from transcript): "Hours Worked Per Week" across Weeks 1–6 with values that appear to decrease (illustrative values from transcript): 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10.

B.9. TABLE

  • Definition: A systematic arrangement of data usually in rows and columns for ready reference.

  • Subtopic: POLYNOMIALS

    • Definition: Polynomials are finite sums of terms where the exponents on the variables are non-negative numbers and the terms are separated by + and -.

    • Classification:

    • Trinomial (three terms)

    • Monomial (one term)

    • Binomial (two terms)

    • Examples (as listed in transcript):

    • Trinomial: 10x27x+5

    • Monomial: 5x

    • Monomial: 3x^2yz^6

    • Binomial: 5x-1

    • Binomial: 10xy

    • Trinomial: 10x^2-5x3

    • Trinomial: 5y^2-6y+3

    • Trinomial: 5y^3

    • Trinomial: 5x^3+2y^2

    • Trinomial: 3+4x+x^2

    • Monomial/Binomial style: 2ab36ab2-8ab

    • Monomial: 2x-3

    • Non-examples (as listed):

    • 3x-4x (two terms that can be combined)

    • 4z23z6z (two terms that can be combined)

    • 4z+2z

C. OUTLINE

  • Definition: An outline is the general plan of what you intend to write. In preparing the outline, you classify information and its connection to your topic; group by content; provide headings (main and subheadings) that are parallel in structure.

  • Rule: In an outline, have at least two topics after each heading and two for the subheadings.

C.1. TOPIC OUTLINE

  • Definition: A form of outline that uses parallel phrases for the heading all throughout.

C.2. SENTENCE OUTLINE

  • Definition: A form of outline that uses sentences for the heading all throughout.

C. OUTLINE (FORMAT TYPES)

There are two formats of outlining:

  1. Number-Letter Format

  2. Decimal Outline Format

NUMBER-LETTER FORMAT

  • Description: Use numbers for main headings, followed by letters for subheadings, and numbers for supporting details;

    • Main heading: Roman numerals (I, II, III, …)

    • Subheading: Capital letters (A, B, C, …)

    • Supporting details: Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, …)

    • If there are lower priority items, use lowercase letters (a, b, c) under a subheading.

NUMBER-LETTER FORMAT (EXAMPLE)

  • Example structure:

    • 1. Main Heading

    • A. Subheading

    • 1. Supporting Details

    • 2. Supporting Details

    • II. Main Heading

    • A. Subheading

    • 1. Supporting Details

    • a. Example

DECIMAL OUTLINE FORMAT

  • Description: Uses decimal numbering in place of number-letter combinations; main headings start with 1, 2, …; subheadings use 1.1, 1.2, etc.; further subdivisions use 1.1.1, etc.

DECIMAL OUTLINE FORMAT (EXAMPLE)

  • Example structure:

    • 1. Main Heading

    • 1.1 Subheading

    • 1.1.1 Supporting Details

    • 1.1.2 Supporting Details

    • 2. Main Heading

    • 2.1 Subheading

    • 2.1.1 Supporting Details

    • 2.1.1.1 Example