How to Create a Conceptual Map

Creating Conceptual Maps

A conceptual map is the visual outline of thought processes. It is an overview of one central thought with extending ideas showing larger contexts of that central thought. When building a house, for example, the foundational concept or central thought is the finished product. To build the house there are many steps leading to the finished product, or a "map" to the completed process. To create a conceptual map you must first know where you hope to end up. The final destination is the concept or idea or question, next comes the "map" or directions for the best way to get there.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Colored markers

Instructions

Mapping Out Your Thoughts

1. Draw a circle in the center of a piece of paper. Any size paper will do but you will want to consider how many ideas could come during the concept building process. In the center of the circle, write down your goal or question (i.e., thesis statement, hypothesis, business idea). From that circle draw seven arrows around it extending outward using a different colored marker.

2. Draw circles, ovals or squares at the ends of the arrows, using different colors for each. Each circle will contain a needed step to complete the concept map. Starting with any shape, write "Purpose and Requirements." Then in the rest add: "Theories and Concepts"; "Examples"; "Design Principles"; "System"; and "Description."

3. Fill each shape with structural, scaffolding or building thoughts on the process concerning the center idea. For example, the purposes or requirements of the center idea may bring up many ideas concerning your central idea. Don't hesitate to create arrows leading from the "Purpose and Requirement" shape leading outward to several new shapes where you will write in many different purposes and requirements. Use different colors for new ideas. Do this with each shape you create.

4. Repeat this process with the new shapes you create until you've built a continuum, cross-links or otherwise tied all the thoughts together with arrows that point towards either the center or another of the shapes. This will show you that you understand where you are going, how you plan to get there and the logical process of getting there. The color coding helps visualize the connecting thoughts and see the actual mind/thought mapping you've done. Any shapes not linked to another shape should be concerned irrelevant to the project and disregarded.

References

• "Leadership System Design for Sustainable Excellence: CEO Perspectives"; John Latham; June 2009 Paper
• Institute for Human and Machine Cognition: The Theory Underlying Concept Maps and How to Construct and Use Them

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish