Technique 1: Free Writing

The first brainstorming technique, free writing, is exactly what the title entails! All it requires is an open Word document (or pen and paper!) and a timer. Set a timer for a certain amount of time (4 minutes, 15 minutes, etc.) and simply write whatever comes to mind!

• The goal of this exercise is simply to get your ideas on the page – don't think too much or pick-and-choose your ideas! You can worry about the logic later.
• Note: This also means you don’t have to worry about knowing what to write or checking your spelling and grammar.

After your timer is up, review what you have written and extract any thoughts or phrases that stand out. Are there any repeating phrases or ideas? Any patterns?

• These patterns and threads are important! Use these to help create your research question(s), gather information you want to investigate further, or, at the very least, to determine the kinds of topics you want to prioritize in your research. 

This is a great method to get creative juices flowing and can be used at any point of the writing process if you are experiencing writer’s block!

Technique 2: Journalist Questions

The Journalist Approach is a great brainstorming method for when you don’t know a lot about your topic to begin with – all it involves is generating a list of questions!

Begin by writing your topic at the top of a page and listing the subheadings of who, what, where, when, why, and how. As you brainstorm, write down questions you might consider researching each of the subheadings.

• You might consider gamifying this approach to make it more entertaining! Simply assign each subheading a number 1-6 (e.g. who = 1, what = 2, etc.) and roll a dice to determine what kind of question to start brainstorming. 
• You can also use a more visual approach called starbursting. This method involves drawing a six-pointed star in the middle of your page and writing your topic in the center. On the inside of each star tip, jot the question categories. As you generate your questions, record them on the corresponding star tips. 

 As you engage in this exercise, try not to find the answers to your questions as you go along. Instead, concentrate on producing as many questions as you can. A comprehensive list of questions will lead you to a more complete understanding of the topic and a better sense of the aspects that your paper should address.

Example: Your instructor has asked you to write about political conflict in the Middle East. You could begin by asking yourself the following questions:

• Who is involved in the conflict?
• What issues most clearly divide those engaged in this dispute?
• Where does the conflict seem most heated or violent?
• When did the troubles in the Middle East begin, and how have they developed over time?
• Why have those living in this area found it so difficult to resolve the situation?
• How might this conflict be resolved? 

Technique 3: Mind Mapping

Mind maps are a great brainstorming technique for visual learners, and can help to summarize information, draw connections between ideas, and organize thoughts.

To begin, write your topic in the middle of a piece of paper (or electronically) and circle it. As you think about your topic, jot subtopics around your central theme and draw lines to show connections between words and ideas. 

• These subtopics are the branches of your central idea; they can be things you already know, things you want to know more about, or even questions you have.
• You can even brainstorm sub-branches of each branch to further potential research topics.

Technique 4: Preliminary Outline

In a preliminary outline, the idea is to flush out a potential outline for the body of your paper based on the topic or question you’ve been given. 

• Begin by brainstorming potential supporting points based on the main idea of your paper and input them as sections within your outline. Typically, this constitutes 2-5 overarching sections that support the main idea of the paper. 
• Then, you can create subpoints for each of these sections. Don’t worry if some sections are blank! At this stage, you are simply brainstorming, not yet researching. 

Now, look at your outline and ask yourself: “Does this order make sense?” or “Is this the best order to cover these topics in?” You can also use this preliminary outline to predict approximately how many pages each of these topics will cover.

Example: 

Considering a topic of the family doctor crisis in Canada, a preliminary outline could look like:

Introduction (we don’t need to worry about this too much at this stage!)

Body

Section 1: Who the Crisis Affects Most

• Age
• Resident Status
• Location
• Socioeconomics

Section 2: Causes of the Crisis

• Historical Background
• Other Factors

Section 3: The Results of the Crisis 

• Another sample bullet point

Conclusion (we also don’t need to worry about this yet)

Technique 5: Reverse Brainstorming

While this technique is not suitable for all types of papers, you might try reverse brainstorming to broaden your understanding of the various sides of a debate. 

Too often in argumentative papers, students fail to adequately acknowledge opposing viewpoints. This technique can help you firmly grasp your own position by considering other angles. Consider following these steps:

• Write down the argument, question, or issue that is central to your paper.
• Reverse the question, problem or argument by asking: “What is the opposing viewpoint?” or “How could I achieve the opposite effect?”
• Brainstorm ideas for the opposing viewpoint or argument.
• Once you have brainstormed ideas from the reverse angle, flip back to the original argument or problem.