The Link Method

The Link Method is one of the easiest mnemonic techniques

available, but is still quite powerful. It is not quite as reliable
as a peg technique, as images are not tied to specific,
inviolable sequences.
It functions quite simply by making associations between
things in a list, often as a story. The flow of the story and the
strength of the visualisations of the images provide the cues
for retrieval.
Mind Tools Mnemonic Grades:
Ease of Use - Very simple
Effectiveness - Moderate
Power - Low
Learning investment - Very low
Who should use - Anyone
How to use
Taking the first image, imagine associations between items
in a list. Although it is possible to remember lists of words
where each word is just associated with the next, it is often
best to fit the associations into a story: otherwise by
forgetting just one association, the whole of the rest of the
list can be lost.
As an example, you may want to remember a list of counties
in the South of England:
Avon, Dorset, Somerset, Cornwall, Wiltshire, Devon,
Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Surrey
This could be done with two approaches, the pure link
method, and the story method:
The Link Method
This would rely on a series of images coding information:

An AVON (Avon) lady knocking on a heavy oak DOoR
(Dorset).
The DOoR opens to show a beautiful SuMmER landscape
with a SETting sun (Somerset).
The setting sun shines down onto a field of CORN
(Cornwall).
The CORN is so dry it is beginning to WILT (Wiltshire).
The WILTing stalks slowly fall onto the tail of the sleeping
DEVil (Devon).
On the DEVil's horn a woman has impailed a GLOSsy
(Gloucestershire) HAM (Hampshire) when she hit him
over the head with it.
Now the Devil feels SoRRY (Surrey) he bothered her.
Note that there need not be any reason or underlying plot to
the sequence of images: all that is important are the images
and the links between images.
The Story Method
Alternatively this information may be coded by vividly
imaging the following scene:
An AVON lady is walking up a path towards a strange
house. She is hot and sweating slightly in the heat of high
SUMMER (Somerset). Beside the path someone has
planted giant CORN in a WALL (Cornwall), but it's beginning
to WILT (Wiltshire) in the heat. She knocks on the DOoR
(Dorset), which is opened by the DEVil (Devon). In the
background she can see a kitchen in which a servant is
smearing honey on a HAM (Hampshire), making in GLOSsy
(Gloucestershire) and gleam in bright sunlight streaming in
through a window. Panicked by seeing the Devil, the Avon
lady panics, screams 'SoRRY' (Surrey), and dashes back
down the path.
Given the fluid structure of this mnemonic, it is important that
the images stored in your mind are as vivid as possible, and
that significant, coding images are much stronger that ones
that merely support the flow of the story. See the section on
using mnemonics more effectively for further information on
making images as strong as possible.
This technique is expanded by adding images to the story.
After a number of images, however, the system may start to
break down.
Summary
The Link Method is probably the most basic memory
technique, and is very easy to understand and use. It is,
however, one of the most unreliable systems, given that it
relies on the user remembering the sequences of events in a
story, or a sequence of images.
It is not always immediately obvious if an image is missing
from the sequence, and if an element is forgotten, then all
following images may be lost as well.
Using Mnemonics for Exams
A very effective way of structuring information for revision is
to draw up a full, colour coded of the subject. This will enable
you to see the overall structure of the topic, and make
associations between information. A good colour coded Mind
Map can be an effective way of remembering information in
its own right.
Using Mnemonics
The problem with this is that you can forget the label on a
line on a Mind Map. A more reliable method is to take your
Mind Map of a subject, and break it down into a list of
important points and facts on a large sheet of paper. This list
can be ordered into general subject areas. This list should
be numbered. Beside all the important facts you can note
down associated and supporting information.
Coding exam subjects into Mnemonics
By associating items on a list with a peg such as a number,
we can check that we have retrieved all items held by a
mnemonic. This numbered list can be remembered using
some of the mnemonic techniques explained in Mind Tools:
For simple, short lists, use a simple peg system, such as:
The Number/Rhyme Technique
The Number/Shape Technique
The Alphabet Technique
For longer lists we can use The Journey System,
remembering key facts at each stop in the journey.
Supporting facts can be associated into images or sub-
mnemonics triggered at these stops in the journey system,
or can be loosely associated in general memory to be
retrieved by the cues of the main facts.
Using Mnemonics in Exams
By using mnemonics, retrieving all the facts necessary to
answer an exam essay question becomes as simple as
running through the mnemonic in your mind, jotting down the
retrieved facts that are relevant to the question. Once you
have written these down, you can apply any sub-mnemonics
you have coded, or jot down any associated facts and
connections that occur to you. This should ensure that you
have all possible information available to you, and should go
a long way towards producing an essay plan.
Using Mnemonics to Learn More Effectively
When you are creating a mnemonic, e.g. an image or story
to remember a telephone number, the following things can
be used to make the mnemonic more memorable:
Use positive, pleasant images. The brain often blocks out
unpleasant ones.
Exaggerate the size of important parts of the image
Use humour (perhaps linked with point 2)! Funny or
peculiar things are easier to remember than normal
ones.
Similarly rude or sexual rhymes are very difficult to forget!
Symbols (e.g. red traffic lights, pointing fingers, etc.) can be
used in mnemonics.
Vivid, colourful images are easier to remember than drab
ones.
Use all the senses to code information or dress up an
image. Remember that your mnemonic can contain
sounds, smells, tastes, touch, movements and feelings
as well as pictures.
Bringing three dimensions and movement to an image
makes it more vivid. Movement can be used either to
maintain the flow of association, or can help to
remember actions.
Locate similar mnemonics in different places with
backgrounds of those places. This will help to keep
similar images distinct and unconfused.
The important thing is that the mnemonic should clearly
relate to the thing being remembered, and that it should be
vivid enough to be clearly remembered whenever you think
about it
Expanding Memory Systems
Once you have mastered simple memory systems such as
the number/shape system, you can use mnemonic
enhancers to expand the range of the systems.
As an example, you might use the convention that encasing
a mnemonic image in ice adds ten to a simple number/shape
image: i.e. if you have previously linked the number 2 to the
word 'wine' by using an image of a drunken swan guzzling a
bottle of wine, then you can change it to link wine to 12 by
imagining the swan frozen in ice.
First Stage Expansion
Tony Buzan, in his book 'Use Your Memory', suggests the
following scheme. Modify it to reflect the way that your mind
works so that the images created are as vivid as possible:
Mnemonic
Enhancers applied to:
Simple Peg System
e.g. Major System

Normal Range
0 - 9
00 - 99
Imagine image:
1. Frozen in ice: 10-19
100 - 199
2. Covered in thick oil 20-29
200 - 299
3. In flames 30-39
300 - 399
4. Pulsating Violently 40-49
400 - 499
5. Made of Velvet 50-59
500 - 599
6. Completely transparent 60-69
600 - 699
7. Smelling good 70-79
700 - 799
8. In a busy road 80-89
800 - 899
9. Floating on a cloud 90-99
900 - 999
As another example, you could link 'compact disk' to the
number 38 by imagining an egg timer (8) with its middle
going through the centre of a CD, engulfed in flames (30-39).
Perhaps you could strengthen the image by imagining the
play of the light of the flames off the grooves of the CD.
This list of images can be remembered in correct order by
using a simple peg system.
Expanding this approach again
Once you understand this technique, you can expand it
again and again. For example you could take it to the next
level by associating the images produced with a strong and
vivid colour, for example:

Mnemonic
Enhancers applied to:
Simple Peg System
e.g. Major System

Initial Range
0 - 9
00 - 99
First
Level Expanded Range
00-99
000 - 999
Imagine image coloured:
1. Red 100-199
1000 - 1999
2. Orange 200-299
2000 - 2999
3. Yellow 300-399
3000 - 3999
etc.
The expansion here might be red - 1, orange - 2, yellow - 3,
green - 4, blue - 5, indigo - 6, violet - 7, white - 8, grey - 9,
and black - 0. If you prefer to use colours in a different way,
then do so!
Keep on expanding the method
You might to decide to expand this system to additional level
by associating sounds to the images (e.g. a soprano singing,
wind chimes, etc.); by associating smells; linking friends to
images; etc.
Summary
So by using these techniques to expand mnemonics, you
can significantly enhance the power of simple systems and
the volumes of information that can be held.
At a particular complexity of image you may find that
mnemonic enhancers become too complex or unwieldy -
maybe after using three or four enhancers together you find
that the system breaks down. This will be individual to you,
and is for you to decide. This is perhaps the stage to start
investigating some of the more powerful memory systems.