Concept Mapping

Concept mapping, in the structured sense developed by William Trochim, is a mixed-method process that lets a group develop a shared conceptual framework on a topic and represent it as a visual map. Participants generate statements about a focus question, sort them into thematic piles, and rate them; multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis then turn those sortings into a two-dimensional map of clustered ideas. Widely used in social-work and human-services planning and evaluation, it combines the openness of group brainstorming with the rigor of quantitative analysis to surface and structure stakeholder thinking.