BASIC TECHNIQUES IN ORGANIZING INFORMATION

A. Brainstorming
It is a group creativity technique by which efforts are made to find a conclusion fro a specific
problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously contributed by its members.
a. Cubing In this strategy, a topic or idea is examined in 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?
b. Freewriting In this technique, just keep on writing and not minding errors in spelling and
grammar. The objective here is to just write what comes to your mind. Have a quantitative
goal like coming up with 500 words or more. Then review what you have written later and
hopefully come up with a specific topic that would interest you.
c. Listing
List down what comes to your mind. If your intention is to come up with topic to write
about, enumerate them. An important reminder in using this technique is not to list your
ideas in an outline form because an outline will require you to organize items and your
thoughts which is a principle contrary to brainstorming

B. Graphic Organizers
The main purpose of a graphic organizer is to provide a visual aid to facilitate learning and
instruction. (Wikipedia.com) It is easier for the writer to explain his/her ideas if s/he is able to
present the graphic devices in such a way that can help others focus on the relationships of the
ideas presented with other details.
a. Concept Maps graphically illustrate relationships between two or more concepts and are
linked by words to describe their relationships.
b. Web shows how different categories of information relate to one another.
c. Mind Maps are visual representations of hierarchical information that include a central idea
or image surrounded by connected branches of associated topics or ideas.
d. This type of graphic organizer shows a series of steps or events in the order in which they
will take place. They can be used in outlining the events in the story, or showing a procedure
in a scientific process.
e. Venn Diagram It is used to identify similarities and differences between two or more
concepts
f. Organizational chart
A chart that shows the structure of an organization.
It is a type of circular graph, which is divided into slices to illustrate a numerical proportion.