18. MAKING A CAUSAL DIAGRAM

Many times it is useful to make a causal diagram to display the latest version of the variables and their relationships. The diagrams in TP Page2 and TP Page10 are good examples. They make it relatively easy to identify missing variables and links, especially in conjunction with the desires for connectedness expressed in Sec. 9 and Sec. 12.

There are several software programs out there that can be utilized for this purpose. And many word processing and presentation programs also can be employed.

Experience has taught us, however, that any diagram that exceeds, say, 30 variables and an equal number of bivariate relations gets to be too complicated and complex for the purposes identified above.

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