A Multi-Agent Rhizomatic Pipeline for Non-Linear Literature Analysis
Organizations: University of Vaasa, School of Management, Vaasa, Finland · LUT University, School of Engineering, Lahti, Finland
Abstract
Systematic literature reviews in the social sciences overwhelmingly follow arborescent logics -- hierarchical keyword filtering, linear screening, and taxonomic classification -- that suppress the lateral connections, ruptures, and emergent patterns characteristic of complex research landscapes. This research note presents the Rhizomatic Research Agent (V3), a multi-agent computational pipeline grounded in Deleuzian process-relational ontology, designed to conduct non-linear literature analysis through 12 specialized agents operating across a seven-phase architecture. The system was developed in response to the methodological groundwork established by (Narayan2023), who employed rhizomatic inquiry in her doctoral research on sustainable energy transitions but relied on manual, researcher-driven exploration. The Rhizomatic Research Agent operationalizes the six principles of the rhizome -- connection, heterogeneity, multiplicity, asignifying rupture, cartography, and decalcomania -- into an automated pipeline integrating large language model (LLM) orchestration, dual-source corpus ingestion from OpenAlex and arXiv, SciBERT semantic topography, and dynamic rupture detection protocols. Preliminary deployment demonstrates the system's capacity to surface cross-disciplinary convergences and structural research gaps that conventional review methods systematically overlook. The pipeline is open-source and extensible to any phenomenon zone where non-linear knowledge mapping is required.
Figures & tables
| Phase | Function | Principle(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ontological Setup | Epistemology Agent generates 3–5 orthogonal theoretical lenses from the phenomenon zone, destabilizing the initial query | Heterogeneity, Multiplicity |
| 2. Corpus Ingestion | Dual-source concurrent fetching (OpenAlex, arXiv), DOI deduplication via trigram Dice coefficient ( ), ABS journal ranking, citation shadow mapping | Connection |
| 3. Parallel Ingestion | Each theoretical lens operates as an autonomous agent, scanning the corpus for lens-specific signals via asyncio concurrency | Multiplicity, Cartography |
| 4. Resonance & Rupture | Cross-lens convergent anomaly detection; centralization risk monitoring triggers heterodox literature re-entry when of edges concentrate on few nodes | Asignifying Rupture |
| 5. Synthesis & Mapping | Assemblage construction in present-continuous tense; edge classification into constructive, critical, and rhizomatic vectors | Cartography, Decalcomania |
| 6. Cartographic Output | Unified research trajectory with all lens outputs, resonance data, latency, token usage, and agent confidence metadata | Cartography |
| Narayan’s Manual Method | Computational Operationalization |
|---|---|
| Rhizomatic exploration across articles, tweets, videos, blogs, and archival data | Dual-source API ingestion (OpenAlex, arXiv) with expandable source connectors |
| Theoretical lens plurality via process-relational ontology | Epistemology Agent generates orthogonal lenses dynamically per phenomenon zone |
| Diffractive analysis ( Barad, 2014 ) for sensing entanglements | Resonance Detector identifies cross-lens convergent anomalies via LLM analysis |
| Researcher-as-conduit: embodied, non-hierarchical sensing | Parallel Ingestion Nodes process corpus through all lenses simultaneously |
| Rupture-seeking: deliberately pursuing heterodox perspectives | Rupture Protocol monitors centralization risk and forces heterodox re-entry |
| Present-continuous assemblage writing | Assemblage Builder synthesizes in present-continuous tense |
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