As the thesis involves comparing ideas from different fields of study there is a requirement for a method that easily allows for relationships between pieces of information to be easily identified. Typically writing in blogs or notebooks forces one to record different ideas serially and separate from each other making the process of comparison more difficult.
Wall mapping gets around this constraint by working as a sort of pin board. As one uncovers information that they feel is important, it is written or attached on the wall. The information can be text or image based, depending on what is appropriate. When further information is discovered you have to choose a location for this information relative to the information that has already been plotted. With this technique, if the new information relates closely to anything on the wall then it is placed in close proximity to that similar piece of information. At this point, the similarities themselves can be written out and placed in the appropriate position on the board. Arrows and lines are drawn between different ideas and pieces of information indicating the presence of relationships. The result is a lattice that not only maps out the discourse encapsulating the thesis, but helps to generate new ideas and relationships because all the information is available for review on a single plane.
The pictures below are of an initial test run for this method of research that sort of evolved into the wall mapping that is described above. I have found that simply writing on a board is more fluid and intuitive for works in progress than working on a document that is computer based. The final version of these various maps still has to be determined but it will be based on these initial sketch maps. As this method is continuously used, ways of evolving the technique will be tested. For example, can the lines drawn between different bits of information be used to describe the nature of those connections and relationships as opposed to simply denoting the presence of a relationship? How large should the maps be, and how can other maps be referenced to each other? Should information be placed on separate pieces of paper then pinned to the wall so that they can be moved when necessary? These are all questions that will be resolved as the technique is utilized as a method of research throughout the thesis.
