Methods of concept analysis - tools for systematic concept analysis (part 3 of 3)

Abstract

This article is the third one in a series of three articles which focus on development of concept analysis methods as an academic research method. In the first article, terminological analysis methods were contrasted with selected concept analysis methods developed in business studies and nursing science. The second article discussed a further development of systematic concept analysis, and outlined steps that can be taken when analyzing concepts for various purposes. This third article describes tools that could be utilized in various phases of concept analysis as well as in other phases of research. With the help of these tools the researcher can bring order in concepts, concept systems and terminology as well as in content and knowledge structures of the study all the way from the design of the study to the presentation of the results. The tools introduced here consist of a mind-map-like graphical presentation called "satellite model", and eight models that can be utilized to structure the satellite model presentation: basic, structural, origination, developmental, activity, transmission, causation, and dependency models.