Steps in Mind Mapping Process

Mind Mapping Steps
Maurice Hogarth
There isn't really a correct 'order' to producing a mind map. Mind mapping is to do with generating/collecting points in relation to a topic in a way that enables new points to be linked to previous ones or become new ones.
Consider the 'title' in the centre of the page as the book title.
Add to this the 'chapter titles'.
Then from the chapters note the 'paragraph' tile words.
Then from the 'paragraph' titles come the 'sentence' titles.
The flow of points will not necessarily be produced in this simple flow. You may have some 'chapters' progressed to 'sentence' level while others have not yet reached the 'paragraph' level.
You may initially produce a simple printed-word map just to capture the points, then reproduce it incorporating images, colour coding of words, printing some words in capitals, shading or putting shapes to highlight other points, connecting arrows etc.

Mind Mapping for Ms Psychobiology
Pedro da Veiga Ventura Alves, Portugal, Member
Mind Mapping was extremely useful in the organization of information used in my thesis, by allowing to visualize conceptual units.

Mind Mapping Steps - a Practitioner's View
Stephen Goodwin, Interim Manager, Australia, Member
I've been using mind-mapping for about 10 years now - I use an electronic tool for it* and I use it in several different ways...
- Prince2 product breakdown structures => product flow => schedule
- Documents and reports
- Website design
- Information design
In all of these I break the sequence down to:
1. Concept
2. Context
3. Detail
By being disciplined about the layers, it is possible to go from ideation of the concepts, through connection of the contexts to the engagement of detail.
There is an ebb and flow where some paths may be filled out more than others (as Hogarth has already pointed out)... However the steps above are generic regardless of the purpose of the mind-map.
* I use Mindmanager 8 for all reports, schedules, presentations and inital website wireframes.