JSON Canvas vs Literature Review

JSON Canvas

By Steph Ango (Kepano / Obsidian)

Create visual knowledge maps, mind maps, and flowcharts for Obsidian without any code.

Literature Review

By Mohit Agarwal (PM Skills)

Turn a pile of research papers into a structured, critical review with themes and gaps.

JSON Canvas

• Creates visual canvases with text boxes, images, links, and grouped elements
• Connects ideas with labeled arrows and color-coded relationships
• Generates mind maps, flowcharts, project boards, and research diagrams
• Organizes complex information spatially so you can see the big picture
• Saves files that open directly in Obsidian's canvas view

Literature Review

• Organizes research evidence by theme instead of summarizing one paper at a time
• Synthesizes findings across multiple studies and highlights where they agree or conflict
• Critically analyzes study quality, methodology, and bias for key sources
• Identifies gaps in the research and what the field still needs to explore
• Formats output for academic journals, dissertations, grant proposals, or policy briefs

Reach for JSON Canvas when…

• You're brainstorming a new project and want to map out all the moving pieces
• You need to visualize how different ideas or documents connect to each other
• You're planning a workflow or process and want to see it as a flowchart
• You want to turn scattered notes into an organized visual knowledge map

Reach for Literature Review when…

• You're writing a dissertation or thesis and need a structured background chapter
• You're preparing a grant proposal and need to show what's known and what's missing
• You're building the research foundation for a new product or policy initiative
• You have a stack of research papers and need to make sense of what they say collectively