1---2name: concept-map3description: Use when the user needs to explain concepts and the labeled relationships between them, especially definitions, dependencies, evidence, or cross-domain connections.4---56# Concept map78## What / why910A concept map is a semantic network: concepts are nodes and labeled propositions connect them. It tells the story “how are these ideas related, and what kind of relationship is it?” Choose it over a mind map when cross-links and relationship meaning matter.1112## How to model1314- State the focus question before modeling.15- Use noun or noun-phrase concepts; connect them with explicit verbs or relation labels.16- Make each path read as a proposition: `concept — relation — concept`.17- Use hierarchy only for real general-to-specific relationships; allow cross-links.18- Distinguish evidence, examples, and claims from concepts themselves.1920## Styling and customization2122Use directional links, high-contrast labels, and enough space for relation text. Use color for concept categories, not relationship meaning alone. Add a legend for arrowheads, line styles, and confidence/status. For a dense map, provide a focused subgraph as well as the overview.2324## Renderer choices2526Preserve the user’s renderer choice. Mermaid, Graphviz, D2, PlantUML, and diagrams.net can represent labeled graphs; Graphviz is useful for automatic layout, while D2 or diagrams.net suit deliberate composition. No diagram.zip renderer enforces concept-map propositions or validates relationship labels; the skill supplies that semantic discipline.2728## Review2930Read every edge as a sentence. Check labels are specific, arrow direction is meaningful, cycles are intentional, and the focus question is answered. Remove unlabeled edges unless adjacency itself is the claim.3132## Prior art and gaps3334See [references/prior-art.md](references/prior-art.md). The [ISO 704 terminology principles](https://www.iso.org/standard/59176.html) are useful prior art for clear concepts and relations, but diagram.zip does not implement a terminology interchange format.