Choosing the correct drawing medium is the first essential of concept map making. Opt for a digital canvas if one is looking to revise the map and paper is great for the analysis at the start and all the research work like choosing between the questions. One needs to find one critical question about the topic. This will be the main question of the whole topic starting from How, Why and What about the topic.
Concept map maker is free form though complicated so choose the right yet a simple question during the research stage. Research is extremely important especially if one is new to the topic. After that a macro concept map needs to be prepared by linking the nodes with micro diagrams so that the page does not get crowded with details.
The concepts need to be concise and should not reflect ‘note making’. If too much is written it is no longer a map but a long note also the readability becomes low. Instead one can split the questions or pointers. Do not write too little or too much to conclude everything to a confusing map. Write a brief definition within the box and connect it to a node to state its importance.
One needs to structurally organize the concept with 2 actions – grouping and scoring. This way one puts related nodes together and organizes them on the paper. Highlight the ones that are important while connecting the multiple groups to the parent topic.
Here, one needs to build up the visual hierarchy which lends clarity to the map with nodes aligned according to their importance. Never shy away from using colors or post it or different font sizes to separate one from the other. Using linking words and cross linking after this step is necessary as it helps to consolidate the relationship between nodes.
In the final step of concept map making evaluate the complete structure paying attention to the structure, content, and graphic design. There should be visual clarity of the structure and accuracy of relationships after the revisions are done.