Ten Steps to Build a Concept Map

1. Identify a focus question that addresses the problem, issues, or knowledge domain that you wish to map.
2. Now hierarchically order your compiled list of concepts.
3. Work through your concepts and add more concepts as needed.
4. Begin building your map.
5. Connect the concepts, and label the connections with one or two linking words. These words should define the relationship between the concepts.
6. Rework the structure of your map, which may include adding, subtracting, or changing subordinate concepts. It may take several iterations of this process to get it to where you want it.
7. Look for crosslinks between concepts in different areas of the map and label these lines.
8. Specific examples of concepts can be attached to the concept labels.
9. It may help to add hyperlinks to concepts you feel require more explanation.
10. Remember that there is no right way to create this concept map, and as your understanding about the relationships between concepts changes, so too will your concept map.