New Radar Modes: Smarter Horizon Scanning & Trendspotting
We’re excited to introduce new analysis modes in Dcipher Analytics Radar, enhancing its capabilities for trend detection, horizon scanning, and arena analysis. What started as a trend radar - a tool for identifying emerging trends across large volumes of news, social media, and web-based sources - has now evolved into a more versatile solution with four distinct analytics modes:
- Trend Analysis (original mode) – Identifies broad trends and assesses their maturity and impact.
- Content Analysis (new) – Maps thematic areas and research streams based on input data.
- News Analysis (new) – Detects and clusters new events and developments in real time.
- Narrative Analysis (new) – Identifies and tracks emerging narratives in social media, policy debates, and beyond.
These new modes make it easier than ever to tailor analyses to specific strategic needs.
New Analysis Modes: How They Work
1. Content Analysis Mode – Structuring Large-Scale Information
This mode is ideal for analyzing the content of input datasets, whether academic papers, reports, or news articles. It organizes information into broad thematic areas and more specific topic clusters. For example:
- If you upload academic papers on nanotechnology, Content Analysis will map out key research streams.
- If you analyze policy reports, it will structure insights across relevant themes and subtopics.
2. News Analysis Mode – Tracking Real-Time Developments
Not all research requires broad trend detection - sometimes, the focus is on recent events. News Analysis Mode scans the latest news, identifies clusters of similar developments, and presents them as bubbles in the radar. The size of each bubble represents the volume or growth rate of news coverage, allowing users to quickly assess the significance of emerging stories.
3. Narrative Analysis Mode – Understanding Conversations & Framing
Narratives shape how issues are perceived and debated. This mode is designed for users analyzing social media, policy discussions, or media coverage to uncover dominant narratives.
For example:
- If monitoring social media, Narrative Analysis will detect trending narratives, measuring volume and engagement.
- If analyzing policy debates, it will map out different perspectives and framings of an issue.
Flexible Configuration: Bottom-Up & Top-Down Approaches
In all four modes, users can configure the radar in two ways:
- Bottom-up analysis – The AI detects broad themes, trends, or narratives organically from the data.
- Top-down analysis – Users define the radar structure, selecting sectors of interest, and the AI searches within them.
This flexibility allows organizations to adapt the radar to both exploratory research and focused strategic intelligence.
Customer Success: RISE’s Use of Radar for Horizon Scanning
The Research Institute of Sweden (RISE) leverages Dcipher Analytics Radar for both high-level and specialized horizon scanning:
- Macro-level scanning: Using a PESTEL framework (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, Legal), RISE identifies global trends that shape industries.
- Domain-specific analysis: RISE applies the radar to fields such as wood technology and food systems, providing strategic insights for research and innovation.
Compared to traditional manual horizon scanning or media monitoring, this automated approach saves significant time while offering a more comprehensive and structured analysis.
How to Access the New Radar Modes
The new analysis modes are now available in Dcipher Analytics Radar. To learn more, visit our Horizon Scanning & Trendspotting Solutions page. You can also read the full RISE Customer Success Story to see how organizations are using this technology for strategic intelligence.
Ready to elevate your trend analysis and horizon scanning? Get in touch with us today.