# Investigation link chart

> Draw a link analysis chart for journalism, OSINT or due diligence: people, companies and ties, each with a source and a confidence level. Free and unlisted.

Source: https://netgraf.isik.co/uses/investigation-link-chart
Updated: 2026-09-24

A link chart is the investigator's version of a relationship map: people, companies and addresses as nodes, and every known connection between them as a line with its source. Netgraf gives each tie a source URL and a confidence level, and keeps the map unlisted and out of search while the story is being checked.

## What makes a link chart trustworthy

- **A source on every tie.** Each relationship has a source URL field; the viewer shows it when a reader clicks the line.
- **Confidence in the line itself.** Confirmed ties are solid, reported ties dashed, rumored ties dotted, so a reader cannot mistake a tip for a filing.
- **People and organisations told apart.** Mark a node as an organisation and it is drawn differently from a person.
- **Dates.** A director who resigned in 2019 should not look like a current one. Add from and to dates and use the timeline.
- **A stated kind.** Every map says whether it is about real people, so a shared chart never passes as fiction or vice versa.

## Working method

1. Start from the subject and add only ties you can source.
2. Paste company-registry or leak data in as a CSV edge list with a source URL column, and it lands with sources attached.
3. Check [betweenness](https://netgraf.isik.co/learn/betweenness-centrality) for intermediaries: the nominee director or holding company that sits between the subject and everything else.
4. Build a tour for the editor: each step frames part of the map with a caption, in the order of the story.
5. Export GraphML to continue in Gephi or a graph database if the network grows beyond what you can read by eye.

## Confidentiality

Maps are unlisted and carry noindex for every major search and AI crawler, the edit link is a secret key, and files you import are parsed in your browser. That said, a link can be forwarded: treat a view link like the document it is.

## Questions

### What is link analysis?

Link analysis is the investigative practice of mapping entities (people, companies, accounts, addresses) and the connections between them to find hidden relationships and intermediaries. It is used in journalism, intelligence, fraud and anti-money-laundering work.

### Can I import data from a company registry?

Yes, as a CSV. Put the two ends of each connection in the first two columns, and add columns for the label, the kind, a source URL and dates if you have them. Netgraf guesses which column is which and lets you correct it.

## Example maps

- https://netgraf.isik.co/m/kushner-network
- https://netgraf.isik.co/m/premier-league-owners