Outlining a Paper

Once your mindmap reflects your understanding of the topic, the last move before drafting is to restructure it into the shape of a paper. The agent does this without re-running retrieval — it's a structural operation, fast and cheap.

What this workflow is (and isn't)

It is: reorganizing existing nodes into chapters, sections, and a writeable order.

It isn't: generating new claims or finding new evidence. If the agent ends up needing to retrieve, your map probably isn't ready yet — go back to a literature review or gap-finding pass first.

Step 1 — Decide the paper's shape

Before instructing the agent, settle on:

  • The argument. What is the paper claiming? One sentence.
  • The audience. What do they know already? What conventions do they expect (IMRaD? humanities essay? policy brief?)?
  • The sections. Roughly: introduction, theoretical frame, evidence/analysis, discussion, conclusion — adapt to your discipline.

The agent doesn't know any of this until you tell it. The clearer you are, the better the restructure.

Step 2 — Tell the agent to restructure

A solid prompt for this workflow:

Restructure the current mindmap into the outline of a paper with the following sections: 1. Introduction, 2. The systems-collapse framework, 3. Evidence for environmental triggers, 4. Engagement with the Sea Peoples thesis, 5. Discussion, 6. Conclusion. Move existing nodes under the appropriate section. Don't create new claims. Flag any node that doesn't fit cleanly into one of these sections.

Key phrases in there:

  • Explicit section list. Don't leave it to the agent's imagination.
  • "Move existing nodes." Restructure, don't re-research.
  • "Don't create new claims." Keeps the Editor inside structural work, away from retrieval.
  • "Flag any node that doesn't fit." You'll want to see these — they're either misplaced, off-topic, or hint that a section is missing.

Step 3 — Review the restructure

Walk the new top-level structure:

  • Are sections roughly balanced? A section with two nodes and one with twenty is a red flag.
  • Are the "doesn't fit" nodes telling you something? They often are.
  • Is the ordering inside each section coherent? If not, ask for an ordering pass:

Within each section, reorder the children to flow from foundational claims to specific ones. Don't change content.

Step 4 — Section-level prose

Each section's root node should carry a short paragraph framing what the section will argue. Ask for it:

For each section, write a 2–3 sentence framing paragraph as the section root's own claim. Don't repeat what's in the children — set up the argument the children will make.

Step 5 — Transitions

Between consecutive sections you'll usually want a transition. Add a sibling node at the end of each section called "Transition" and ask:

For each "Transition" node, write a single sentence linking the end of that section to the start of the next. Keep them short.

Step 6 — Draft

You can draft directly from the mindmap. Useful patterns:

  • Section by section. Open one section's subtree, read it in order, write prose against it. The claims and citations are right there.
  • Export. Export the subtree as markdown (see Exporting & Sharing) and draft in your editor of choice.

Tips

  • Resist the urge to ask the agent to "write the paper." It can, but the output will be generic. You'll write better, faster, by drafting against the map.
  • Outlining is iterative. First-pass outlines almost always reveal a missing section. That's the outline doing its job.
  • Version the map before a major restructure — see Version History & Provenance. Restructures are reversible.

What's next