Method guide · Arrange people and ideas
Spiral Journal
Reflect individually on 4 questions before listening to one another in small groups.
- People
- 2–120
- Base procedure time
- 15 minutes
- Recording
- Shared record
Purpose: Reflect and learn.
English guide
Text acceptance is not approval of this rendered page, its media, or publication.
How this method works
A reflection method that divides a sheet into 4 sections and responds to 4 questions in sequence. Use it when people rush from events to conclusions, or need time to think alone before speaking. In the sections, briefly write what you noticed, what you felt, what you want to let go of, and what you want to try next. After writing, select one key word or phrase from each section and listen to one another without interruption in groups of 2–3. Finally, each group contributes just one note about common ground. The result is each person's 4-section record and the common ground shared with everyone. Do not use a 15-minute format to address profound loss or a psychological crisis.
Phase schedule
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- Prepare the spiral0–2 minutes from the start (2 minutes)
Action: Prepare. Participation: Individually.
Individual record
- Write responses to 4 questions2–8 minutes from the start (6 minutes)
Action: Write. Participation: Individually.
Individual record
- Choose key words8–10 minutes from the start (2 minutes)
Action: Choose. Participation: Individually.
Individual record
- Listen in small groups10–13 minutes from the start (3 minutes)
Action: Listen. Participation: Groups of 2–3.
Shared record
- Retain common ground13–15 minutes from the start (2 minutes)
Action: Retain. Participation: Everyone.
Shared record
Facilitation steps
- For 2 minutes, fold a blank sheet into 4 sections, unfold it, mark a dot in the centre, and draw one outward turn of a spiral.
- For 6 minutes, the facilitator presents the 4 questions in sequence. Write in the corresponding section for approximately 90 seconds per question.
- For 2 minutes, reread each section and circle one word or phrase you want to share later.
- For 3 minutes, in groups of 2–3, take turns reading the circled words or phrases while others listen without asking questions during the turn.
- After everyone in the group has finished reading, write just one shared insight on a sticky note.
- For 2 minutes, each group places its note on the shared surface and the facilitator reads recurring common ground aloud.
If something changes
If
Someone has not begun writing 30 seconds after a question is shown.
Then
Explain that a word or a line is enough instead of a sentence, and allow the choice to leave that section blank.
If
During small-group sharing, one person's turn exceeds 90 seconds.
Then
The facilitator signals 30 seconds remaining and asks the person to read only one circled word or phrase.
If
At least one person does not want to share personal content.
Then
Allow them to keep their paper private and either read only sections they can share or participate as a listener.
Preparation
Materials
- Blank A4 paper (1 sheet per person)
- Dark-coloured pens (1 per person)
- One projection screen or large sheet showing the 4 reflection questions
- Sticky notes for common ground (1 per group of 2–3, at least 75 mm square)
Room and setup
- Seats for everyone, arranged so people can face one another in groups of 2–3 after individual writing
- One shared surface with room for every group's sticky note
Adjust for people and time
With 2–30 participants, share simultaneously in groups of 2–3. With 31–120, use groups of 3 as the standard; if 1 person remains, make one pair. Each group contributes just one note about common ground to the shared surface, and the facilitator moves similar notes closer together. Because individuals do not all present to everyone, retain the 15-minute limit as participant numbers grow.
Safety and non-applicable situations
Allow words, lines, or a blank section when writing is difficult. People may keep their paper private, share only selected sections, or remain listeners. Do not use this 15-minute method to address profound loss or a psychological crisis.
Historical translation and source notes
These original notes are retained verbatim with their fixed source versions. This historical label does not resolve a source-specific concern or establish current acceptance.
- For 31–120 participants, the source says to use groups of 3 and make one pair if 1 person remains. It does not explain how to redistribute people to conserve the total, for example with 31 participants. This draft preserves the stated rule and does not invent a correction.
Manuscript's recorded references
These translate the original manuscript's source and rights claims. They remain separate from any current-page notice below; they do not establish new verification.
- Fisher Qua and Anna Jackson: Spiral Journal
https://www.liberatingstructures.com/spiral-journal/
Adaptation under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes made
- Liberating Structures Creative Commons License
https://www.liberatingstructures.com/cc-license
CC BY-SA 4.0
- Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
CC BY-SA 4.0
Current-page licence notice
This explanation is an adaptation for Taiwa no Fumen based on the official Liberating Structures page linked below. The manuscript's recorded references are listed separately from the web page checked on 17 October 2026.
Changes: the Japanese explanation and facilitation plan have been edited for Taiwa no Fumen. The English edition translates that Japanese manuscript; it is not a verbatim translation of the official page.
The LS-adapted text on this page, including this site's editorial and translation contributions, is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. When reusing it, credit the creators, identify the source and licence, indicate changes, and follow the licence's ShareAlike terms when sharing adaptations.
This site's notation diagrams and on-screen illustrations explain the facilitation process. They are not presented as official LS icons.
Method names are used to identify their sources. This is not an official LS website, and no endorsement or approval by the creators or rights holders is implied.
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Credits on the checked source page
- Developed by: Fisher Qua, Anna Jackson
- Inspiration: Lynda Barry
Source page checked on 2026-10-17: Spiral Journal.
Source lineage
- Original repertoire (2013): Henri Lipmanowicz, Keith McCandless
- 2026 Fieldbook: Keith McCandless, Nancy White
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International · Legal code · Official source policy
This material-specific notice does not itself establish publication clearance. Preserved manuscript references above remain separate from the current page's credits and licence evidence.
Diagram, print, and video language
Original Japanese guide, diagram, and print view. Their labels and print text have not been translated; an English print edition is not provided here.
English video-library navigation. Original Japanese audio, subtitles and transcripts remain labelled Japanese resources. Their translations are separate later work. No remote player is embedded here.
The manual English phase controls are a navigation aid, not a live facilitation timer. Interactive diagram motion remains pending.
Editorial provenance
Japanese source status and logs are provenance only. They do not mean this English text or interface was field-tested. Historical fixed-text acceptance and hold records remain specific to their recorded versions; displaying them neither asserts current acceptance nor resolves source-specific restrictions.