Generate Ideas

These programs are useful in research of all types - gathering, storing, sorting, selecting, organizing, generating data, hypotheses, concepts.

Name	Comments
Axon2007	What it Does: Organize and process ideas in multiple ways. Runs on: PC only Price: $135 Uniqueness: It's one of only a few tools to provide this combination of functions Best Feature: The extraordinary versatility of the program Worst Feature: The unfamiliar (but logical) and sometimes awkward interface Learning Time: Hours --- Export/Import: Good My use: Regular --- Confidence in Evaluation: Good Comment: "The Axon Idea Processor provides a specially designed environment that supports and empowers the thinking processes. Objects and Links form the basic entities for idea processing. These entities are displayed in a multi-level, 3D workspace." It's true. Generating note: Many intriguing semi-automatic idea generators.
CmapTools	What it Does: Concept relationships - Useful in group situation Runs on: PC, Mac, Linux Free Uniqueness: It's one of only a few tools to provide this combination of functions Best Feature: Public server allowing group projects. Worst Feature: Initially difficult to see how powerful it is. Learning Time: Hours --- Export/Import: Medium My use: Infrequent --- Confidence in Evaluation: Good Comment: I have used it quite successfully in several courses. It was particularly helpful in promoting class interaction.
Freemind	What it Does: Relationship diagrams - brainstorming etc. Runs on: PC, Mac, Linux Free, Open Source Best Feature: Very rapid development of a set of concept relationships Worst Feature: Cannot add much text or images. Learning Time: Half Hour --- Export/Import: Medium My use: Infrequent --- Confidence in Evaluation: Medium Comment: A simple but elegant tool for organizing a bunch of ideas. Ideal at the brainstorming phase of a project. Quicker to use than cMap, but not as powerful. Review & Comments about Freemind in Academic Tools Blog

 

 

Update: 2006-11-26