Crumbnet

Introduction
ACrumbnet is a narrative modeling tool that provides a hub for working through the life
cycle of an analysis problem. In Crumbnets, you capture important information about an
analysis problem, such as hypotheses, assumptions, facts, and other related concepts.

Crumbnets provide an ideal backdrop for connecting supporting evidence and content
as an analysis progresses and situations change. With easy drag-and-drop functionality,
you can attach fully sourced information--such as Documents, Images, other
Crumbnets, snippets of text and any other content that you can create or upload into
Savanna--to specific nodes. This enables you to easily prepare fully-sourced
documentation in a narrative analysis context.

Crumbnets allow you to plot multiple analytical approaches and compare competing
hypotheses, ensuring that all relevant paths in an analysis problem are examined. With
multiple node palettes, you have the ability easily capture what is most important to
your analysis.

Common Terms

l Node:Nodes are discrete elements that make up a Crumbnet. Nodes represent var-
ious concepts, such as Fact, Problem, or Hypothesis. You can name individual nodes in
order to add specific information to your Crumbnet.
l Parent node: The node at the top of a tree hierarchy. There can be multiple levels of
parent nodes. For example, a parent node at the highest point of a tree can have a
child node, and that child node may itself be a parent node to other, subordinate
nodes. Parent nodes are characterized by relationships that only flow outward from the
node, not into it.
l Child node:A node that originates from a parent node. Child nodes are connected to
parent nodes by relationships that flow from the parent node into the child node.
l Relationship:A relationship is the connection between two nodes, depicted by a line
on the Crumbnet background.
l Supporting evidence:Anything that you drag onto the Crumbnet background, including
Documents, Images, Maps, Notes and more. Supporting evidence is displayed as icons
that you can connect to specific nodes.

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In Crumbnet, you can:

Use Nodes to Map an Analysis Problem

Crumbnets are networks of nodes that represent key information about your analysis
challenges and allow you to approach challenges from many different angles. You can
use nodes that represent a range of discovery, analysis, hypothesis and knowledge
base models. Discovery nodes allow you to lay out your questions, assumptions and
observations as you begin to examine an issue. Analysis nodes help you to assess the
pros, cons, risks and consequences of various paths in an analysis problem. You can
use hypothesis nodes to set down claims, objections, reasons and rebuttals that inform
multiple hypotheses. Throughout your analysis, you can add knowledge base nodes like
person, place and thing to anchor your Crumbnet with specific facts and events.

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You might begin your analysis by breaking an issue down into key questions, concepts
and hypotheses associated with an analysis problem. To display these issues in a
Crumbnet, you would create a new node for each issue related to your problem. Once
you have mapped out your key questions, concepts and hypotheses, you have the
beginning of a model that helps you map multiple approaches to a problem.

Define and Evolve Your Crumbnet as Your Analysis Prog-

resses
Crumbnet is designed to adapt to complex and dynamic analysis challenges to
accurately reflect your problem space at any given time. As your Crumbnet evolves, you
can modify node and relationship types and colors, define relationships between nodes
and save different approaches to the same problem.

Define Relationships Between Nodes

Crumbnet enables you to create relationships between any two nodes in a Crumbnet.
You can create relationships that connect a parent node with multiple child nodes
that originate from the parent node, or you can create relationships that connect
nodes from different trees. For example, your parent node might be "Bank Robbery"
and have several child nodes detailing facts about when they have occurred and
ideas of why they are taking place. Then, you might create a relationship link between
one of the child Fact nodes in the Bank Robbery tree and another Fact node in a
different tree about robberies that have occurred in malls.

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 To deepen the analysis process, you can define, edit and delete the relationships
between nodes at any time. With Crumbnet, you can define relationships in a number
of ways, including unknown, supports, proves, contradicts, disproves or connects to.

Modify Nodes

You can reflect changing lines of reasoning by changing node types and renaming any
node in a Crumbnet. For example, you might change an Assumption node to a Fact
node as you gain more information.

Drag Supporting Content Onto the Crumbnet

You can drag content (such as Documents, Maps and Notes) onto your Crumbnet to
add context to your analysis. This content is fully-sourced and can be accessed
directly from the Crumbnet.

Work Collaboratively
You can save and share Crumbnets with others, allowing you to work collaboratively on
an analysis problem. Because a Crumbnet shows the evolution of your analysis, others
on your team can view your Crumbnet and understand how you arrived at a conclusion,
desired outcome, or hypothesis. Collaborators can also edit Crumbnets, allowing them
to test your hypotheses and add additional concepts, questions, relationships or
evidence.

Create a Crumbnet
You can use Crumbnets to create problem maps of your analysis
challenge. Crumbnets allow you to plot your analytical approach,
outlining visual relationships between concepts, items and
desired outcomes. With Crumbnets, you can easily work through
your problem using many different approaches.

1. Create a new Crumbnet

You can create a new Crumbnet at any point during your
workflow. If you are not already working in a Space, you must
open a Space or create a new Space in which to house the
content you create.

To create a Crumbnet:

1. From the Space dashboard, in the Create panel, click the

Crumbnet icon.
2. A window opens. In the Name text box, name your Crumbnet.

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 3. Note that the default sharing settings for your content are pri-
vate. You can use the Crumbnet menu to change your sharing
settings.
4. Click Create.

Note

You can also create a new Crumbnet from the Savanna

toolbar in an existing file. To do that, first save any changes to
the existing file. Then, click Create in the toolbar and click
Crumbnet.

2. Create a new node in a Crumbnet

Nodes symbolize important concepts for discovery, analysis and
hypothesis creation and comparison. You can use nodes to help
contextualize and scope your analysis.

To create a node:

1. While in the Edit mode, from the Node palette, click Discovery,
Analysis, Hypothesis or Knowledge Base to choose a node cat-
egory.
2. Drag the node you wish to use to the Crumbnet background.
3. In the text box, type the name you want to use.
4. Click anywhere on the Crumbnet background to exit the text
box and save the node name.

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3. Create a relationship between
nodes in a Crumbnet
You can create relationships between nodes on a Crumbnet to
outline your thought process and connect important concepts
and ideas.

To create a relationship between nodes:

1. While in the Edit mode, hover your mouse pointer over a node
on the Crumbnet background.
2. Multiple icons are displayed. Click the arrow at the bottom of a
node and drag a line to any other node on your Crumbnet.
3. The line visually represents the relationship between the
nodes.

Note

To automatically create a new relationship and node, hover

over the existing node and click the + icon.

To delete a relationship, click the relationship and press

Delete on your keyboard.

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4. Add supporting evidence to a
Crumbnet
You can add documents, images, videos, Maps, Notes, and
Occurrences from Search or the Space Content window onto a
Crumbnet.

To add supporting evidence:

1. In Search or from the Space Content window, navigate to the

file you wish to add to a Crumbnet.
2. In Crumbnet, ensure that you are in the Edit mode. Drag the
evidence to the Crumbnet background.
3. To relate an image, video, Occurrence,Map, or document to a
specific node, just drag it over the node. A line is automatically
displayed to signify the relationship.
4. To relate Crumbnets or Notes, you must add a link manually.

Note

To relate multiple files to a node at once, press Shift and

select the files, then drag them over the node. Multiple lines
are displayed to signify the relationships.

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5. Save a Crumbnet
You can easily save the changes that you have made to your
Crumbnet. When you save a Crumbnet, it is automatically added
to the Space in which you are working.

To save:

1. While in the Edit mode, in the Crumbnet toolbar, click Done.

2. The Crumbnet is added to the Space you are currently working
in, and a save confirmation message is displayed at the top of
the window.
3. To view the contents of the Space, click the Space Content
icon on the left side of the window.

Note

You can also save a Crumbnet by clicking the Crumbnet menu

and clicking Save.

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Add a description to a node in a
Crumbnet
You can add information to any node to add context to your
analysis. For example, you might create a Concept node called
Bank Robberies. Then, you could add a description to the node
that the robberies have all taken place in downtown Portland.

To add a description to a node:

1. While in the Edit mode, hover your mouse pointer over an exist-
ing node's name on your Crumbnet.
2. Click the text below the node name. A text box is displayed.
3. In the text box, type the description you wish to use.
4. Click anywhere on the Crumbnet background to exit the text
box and save the description.

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Add a hyperlink to a Crumbnet
You can add hyperlinks to external websites on a Crumbnet.
Once you've added the hyperlink, the user can simply click it, and
they will be directed to the site in a new window.

To add a hyperlink to a Crumbnet:

1. While in Edit mode, from the Node palette, click the Hyperlink
icon under Additional Sources.
2. Drag the icon to the Crumbnet background. A window opens.
3. From the window, in the associated text boxes, type the web
address and hyperlink text you wish to use.
4. When you're finished, click Apply.

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