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Fig. 6.1
Paradigm shift in collagen research (Reproduced from Small 1977 )
a particular article was visible so long as it remained within the scope of these
diagrams. Once an article moved out our sight, there would be no way to follow
the article any further. The chase would be over. A wider field of view would
provide more contextual information so that we can follow the trajectory of a rising
paradigm as well as a falling one.
Researchers have found that thematic maps of geographic information can help to
improve memory for facts and inferences ( 1994 ). If people study a geographic map
first and read relevant text later, they can remember more information from the text.
If we visualize the intellectual structure of a knowledge domain, such knowledge
maps may help researchers in a similar way.
Traditionally, a geographic map shows two important types of information:
structural and feature information. Structure information helps us to locate indi-
vidual landmarks on the map and determine spatial relations among them. Feature
information refers to detail, shape, size, color, and other visual properties used to
depict particular items on a map. One can distinguish landmarks from one another
based on feature information without relying on the structural relations among
these landmarks. When people study a map, they first construct a mental image
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