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| Criterion |  Knowledge Modeling Knowledge Mapping |  UX Research Affinity Diagramming |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Knowledge Modeling Concept Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Knowledge Mapping makes knowledge, gaps, and transfer paths visible across a field. It fits when expertise should not just exist but also be findable and transferable. | When research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | Concept Mapping arranges terms and relationships in a network that makes subject-matter connections tangible. It fits when a topic needs to be understood structurally rather than linearly. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 45–90 min | 45-90 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | 3-10 | 2-8 | 1-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Knowledge Map, Critical Knowledge Areas, Transfer Plan | Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areas | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Concept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge Gaps |
Tagsno overlap | KnowledgeMappingRisk | SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking |