Open Knowledge Maps

Open Knowledge Maps is a free, open-source visual discovery tool that maps research fields into topic-based knowledge maps.

Overview

Open Knowledge Maps turns literature search into visual exploration: enter a research question and it clusters papers by topic into an interactive map, so you can see the structure of a field at a glance. Built on open scholarly infrastructure (BASE, OpenAlex, PubMed), it is completely free and open source, with no commercial data harvesting. Each map is shareable and embeddable for teaching and collaboration, and the nonprofit behind it champions open science. It is especially valuable for scoping new research areas.

How It Works

Enter a research question or keyword and choose a service (BASE, PubMed or OpenAlex) to build your map. Explore the clustered topics, zoom into relevant regions and share the map link with collaborators or students.

Key Features

• Visual topic maps clustering papers by subject
• Coverage via open databases: BASE, OpenAlex, PubMed
• Free and open-source with no usage limits
• Shareable and embeddable maps for teaching
• Scoping mode for exploring unfamiliar fields
• Nonprofit, open-science oriented operation

Pricing

Open Knowledge Maps is completely free and open source, sustained by grants and donations rather than subscriptions.

Who Is It For

Students, early-career researchers and educators scoping new fields or teaching literature discovery in an open-science context.

Common Use Cases

• Scoping an unfamiliar research field
• Teaching literature discovery visually
• Collaborative topic exploration

FAQ

Is Open Knowledge Maps free to use?

Yes. The service is entirely free and open source, with no paid tiers or usage caps.

Does Open Knowledge Maps offer an API?

As an open-source project, its code and data integrations are publicly available on GitHub for self-hosting and extension.

How does Open Knowledge Maps compare to alternatives?

Compared with commercial literature tools, Open Knowledge Maps trades personalization features for zero cost, transparency and visual field overviews.

What should I know before adopting Open Knowledge Maps?

The tool prioritizes openness and field structure over personalization — results are as good as the underlying open databases. For individual reference management, pair it with a dedicated citation tool.

What data sources does Open Knowledge Maps use?

It builds maps on open scholarly infrastructure — BASE, OpenAlex and PubMed — aligning with its nonprofit open-science mission of keeping research discovery transparent and free.

Can I share a knowledge map with students or colleagues?

Yes. Every map has a shareable link and can be embedded, which makes it useful for teaching literature discovery and for collaborative field exploration.