Have you spotted a connection? It’s up to you to decide what we’ll explore.
A name that comes up in several cases. Two people who appear in different contexts. An organization that appears in several cases. An event that seems to intersect with another.
Sometimes, these connections catch our attention even before we know whether they are significant. We can then either stop at that impression or investigate what the sources actually allow us to connect.
That is exactly what we suggest you do with nodeling.
Did you spot something? Ask us to link to it.
Nodeling involves identifying and representing documented relationships between key figures, based on identifiable sources.
A person can be linked to an organization. An organization can be linked to an event. An event can be linked to another person. And so on.
Each connection is linked to a specific source and passage, so that the reader can refer back to the original document. The goal, therefore, is not to construct a theory based on a few coincidences.
The goal is to see what the sources actually allow us to connect.
And that’s where you can step in.
Two ways to order a nodelization
You can ask us to focus on a specific relationship, or entrust us with a broader investigation.
1. Point-based nodeling
Do you have a specific question? You can request a story centered on a few main characters and a particular relationship, for example:
What is the documented relationship between A and B?
What connections are there between this person and this organization?
Does this person appear in the same network as these other two individuals?
We then search for relevant sources and build a documented case, which allows us to answer a specific question without necessarily launching a full-scale investigation.
This is the right approach when you’ve already found something and simply want to know what the sources reveal.
2. A survey: several nodes
But some questions are broader in scope.
You may have identified several people, organizations, or events and want to understand how they are connected.
In that case, you can order a survey consisting of several nodes.
For example, A → B, then B → C, then A → D, then C → D…
Each relationship is the subject of its own research and its own sources. The various nodes can then be combined to form a broader relational map.
Each relationship is the subject of its own research and its own sources. The various nodes can then be combined to form a broader relational map.
You don’t need to know exactly what you’re going to find
In fact, that’s often the basis of an investigation. You might have a hunch, a question, or just a few names.
You don’t necessarily need to know the relationships in advance; you can provide us with:
- the key players to examine;
- the relationship you’re interested in;
- a period;
- possibly one or more starting points.
We then look at what the sources allow us to document.
Nodeling is precisely what allows us to move from intuition to something verifiable.
Why order instead of just waiting for a new item?
Because the possibilities for research are virtually endless, we cannot explore all networks, all organizations, all individuals, and all events at the same time.
But our readers may have noticed things that we haven’t looked into yet. So you can help guide part of the research effort directly.
Have you noticed a connection? Do you want to know if it actually exists? Are you wondering who else is involved in a particular case? Order the research you’re interested in. Your question then becomes the starting point for a new modeling process.
And an investigation can start with just one nodel
In fact, you don’t need to know right away whether your question warrants a single post or a full investigation.
A first relationship can introduce a new person. That person can lead to another relationship. Then to a third.
This is how a one-off search can gradually turn into a full-fledged investigation. A nodel can therefore serve as a starting point, while an investigation involves exploring multiple connections related to a single topic.
The cut-up principle
We want to maintain a fundamental distinction between what we find in the sources and what we can infer from them. A relationship is only meaningful if it can be substantiated.
That is why each nodel is based on elements that allow you to trace it back to the original source. No paraphrasing intended to artificially fit information into the map. No relationships invented simply because they “seem logical.”
Sources first. Connections second.
Ultimately, the map is simply a more readable way of looking at the documented relationships.
It’s up to you to tell us what to explore
Cutup can therefore work both ways: we can publish our own research, but you can also ask us to look for connections that interest you.
A specific question can lead to a “nodel.” Several questions on the same topic can become an investigation. And an investigation can reveal connections that no one had yet taken the time to make.
Do you have any names? A question? A connection that intrigues you?
Give us the starting point, and we’ll see what the sources allow us to connect.
You choose the topic, we identify the connections, and the map is built based on the sources.