Bridge Map — Visualise Connections Between Concepts
Research fields are not flat lists of topics — they are networks of connected concepts. Some bridges between ideas are heavily trafficked. Others are missing entirely. Bridge Map makes those connections visible.
What is Bridge Map?
Bridge Map plots the co-occurrence relationships between every term in your analytical set. When two terms appear together frequently across your corpus, a bridge forms between them. When two related terms never appear in the same documents, the absence of a bridge is a finding — a structural gap in how the field thinks about those ideas together.
How it works
For each pair of terms in your set, Gaptrium™ counts the number of documents in which both terms appear. The result is a co-occurrence matrix rendered as a network map. Node size reflects individual term frequency. Edge thickness reflects the strength of the co-occurrence bridge. Isolated nodes — terms with no strong bridges to others — are structurally isolated concepts in your corpus.
Available on all plans including Trial. Start free →
Who uses Bridge Map?
Thesis Methodology
Show the structural map of your field before presenting your research questions. Demonstrate which connections exist, which are weak, and which your thesis will build.
Interdisciplinary Research
Find the bridge between two fields that has never been built. The absence of co-occurrence between two active research areas is an interdisciplinary opportunity.
Technology Scouting
Identify which technical concepts in patent literature are mentioned in isolation and which are already being combined — find the combination that isn't there yet.
Meta-analysis Preparation
Map the conceptual topology of your inclusion set before writing your meta-analysis protocol. Clusters of strongly bridged terms suggest sub-fields to analyse separately.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Bridge Map and Heat Map?
Heat Map shows how individual terms are distributed across individual documents. Bridge Map shows how terms relate to each other — which concepts appear together and which appear in isolation.
Can I zoom and pan the Bridge Map?
Yes. Bridge Map supports D3-powered zoom and pan, and nodes are highlighted on click to show all bridged connections for a selected term.
Can I export the Bridge Map?
Yes — as PNG on all plans, HTML on Scope and above.
Does Bridge Map work with non-English documents?
Yes. Gaptrium™ processes the text of your documents regardless of language. You define the analytical terms in whatever language matches your corpus.
How many terms can Bridge Map handle?
Trial: 50 terms. Scope: 200. Signal: 500. Core: unlimited. For best visualisation clarity, we recommend 20–50 terms for Bridge Map specifically.