MIND MAPS are just wonderful. They can be used for anything, really.

I used them extensively when I was in the throes of writing my PHD dissertation. It definitely eased, or even made possible, this extremely challenging process that went on for years.

Here is an example : Mind map for chapter 7.

Les cartes mentales, ou schémas heuristiques, se prêtent à tout. Elles m’ont aidée, par exemple, à rédiger ma thèse.

Ma thèse est en ligne :

http://archive.bu.univ-nantes.fr/pollux/show.action?id=d3ffbf03-bda2-42bd-b07e-eacab3725bcd