• "Recent additions to the Novakian…" concept map attempt "…to capture 'cyclical' relationships…" which represent "…complex natural and social systems"
• constructing a Novakian concept map differ greatly from constructing a mind map

Stages in developing a Novakian concept map:

"1- Develop a declarative-type focus question (e.g., ‘‘What is inflation?’’)

2- Devise a ‘‘parking lot’’ of concepts and ideas that are related to the concept of inflation, and the question to be answered. The purpose of this stage is brainstorming. The resulting concepts may or may not be used in the final map (Novak and Can ̃as 2006). The concepts are placed in circles or boxes to designate them as concepts.

3.- Put concepts in hierarchical order of importance in a provisional map. An ‘‘expert skeleton map’’ can be started by an instructor in a class to scaffold the learning process, aid student participation and give students confidence. Students can complete the map themselves with the focus question and concepts provided.

4- Link lines are then provided between the hierarchical concepts from top to bottom. The conventions have changed over the decades since the inception of concept mapping. Arrows were originally only used when it is necessary to link a lower concept with a higher concept. However, this convention has recently been revised by concept mappers to allow for arrows for all directions (Ahlberg 2004).

5.- Devise suitable cross-links for key concepts in the map. Verbs and prepositions/ prepositional phrases are used most frequently, for example: ‘‘requires’’, ‘‘to work with’’, ‘‘will lead to’’, ‘‘involves’’, ‘‘during’’, ‘‘of’’, ‘‘through’’, and so on. The aim is to show the relationship between the key concepts and their subordinate or super-ordinate elements.

6- Add examples to the terminal points of a map representing the concepts. These are not enclosed in boxes or circles to delineate them as instances of a concept."