Summary topic: definition and example
A summary topic is a topic joined by a bracket to a range of sibling topics in a mind map, giving a single conclusion or label for the whole range.
What it means
A summary topic sums up a few neighbouring topics. A curved or square bracket spans them, and the summary sits on the other side of it.
When to use one
Use it to state a conclusion, a total or a name for a group: what three chapters argue, what five risks add up to, what two options have in common.
How it differs from nearby terms
A boundary outlines a group but adds no topic of its own. A summary topic is a real topic with its own text, and it works only across siblings. A brace map uses braces for the whole structure, not for one conclusion.
In MindmapPal
In the MindmapPal app for iPhone and iPad, select the sibling topics, add a summary and type the text, then drag its handles to change which topics it spans. The web editor on this site does not add summaries.
Example
Three branches in a book map read "Chapter 1", "Chapter 2" and "Chapter 3". A bracket across them leads to a summary topic that says "Argues the city must grow up, not out".
Related terms
- Boundary: A boundary is a closed shape drawn around a topic or a run of neighbouring sibling topics in a mind map to group them visually, with an optional title.
- Main branch: A main branch is a topic attached directly to the central topic of a mind map, and it heads one major part of the subject with its own subtopics below it.
- Subtopic: A subtopic is a topic placed under another topic in a mind map, holding one detail, example or part of the idea above it.
- Brace map: A brace map is a diagram that shows a whole on one side and splits it into parts and sub-parts with curly braces, usually reading from left to right.