Use when creating visual representations of grounded theory — concept maps, theoretical diagrams, process models, and conditional matrices.
Visual models externalize relationships among categories so you can spot gaps, contradictions, and over-clutter. They are thinking tools first; publication figures second.
After you have repeatable categories and tentative relationships—mid selective/theoretical coding. Early visuals risk crystallizing premature closure; late visuals may only decorate finished text without aiding thought.
Each iteration should respond to disconfirming incidents or new theoretical sampling. Version files (model_v3.png) and note what changed in the audit trail.
Provide a clean figure with minimal jargon; define terms in the caption; ensure the figure matches claims in text. Some journals want black-and-white friendly palettes.
Start small (3×3). Expand only when cells remain meaningful. If a cell is empty, ask whether the absence is empirical or a modeling error.
Whiteboards, Miro, Obsidian canvas, PowerPoint, OmniGraffle, Graphviz, CAQDAS maps. Pick what keeps you fast; avoid tool obsession.
Models express substantive theory, not literature diagrams. If your figure recreates a framework from a prior study, scrutinize for forcing.