preference inference based on the structure of [your] goals
It's nothing too formal - wisdom gleaned from an article here and a blog post there.
Most of us readily have a list of goals that come to mind, but it's likely that they are subgoals and we are unaware of why exactly we do them. So, you keep on asking "What will this goal do for me?" instead of "What will do this goal for me?", creating downwind nodes in your graph until you presumably hit your preferences. In which case you (a) could check your preferences for consistency and overlap (see Nozick), and (b) investigate if your current subgoals are the best way to maximize your preferences, or find new ones.
Apparently this can be prescribed from the Connection Theory framework, but I haven't found it necessary to study Connection Theory. They make some interesting guesses about what happens when our stated goals conflict, amongst other things.
Most of us readily have a list of goals that come to mind, but it's likely that they are subgoals and we are unaware of why exactly we do them. So, you keep on asking "What will this goal do for me?" instead of "What will do this goal for me?", creating downwind nodes your graph until you presumably hit your preferences.
That's interestingly dual to what I have in mind: the core notion is that it shows you one thing to do (as opposed to a list, to avoid excess choice or dismay). And if you want to not-do-that, you have choices such as...
I've found most graphing software too clunky, or having too much mental friction, for my purpose of creating graphically represented plans, to convert written diagrams into digital form, or to do preference inference based on the structure of my goals (amongst other things).
So far the only tool that I've seen that reduces this friction is GraphViz [1], since I think I can literally just list down connection after connection in markup, with no care for structure or reasonableness, and then prune connections after I see how the entire thing looks. Point and click is for suckers.
However, I also like the approach of Freemind that quickly outputs a visual map that is easily traversable; but it doesn't do much for me when the causality is more involved.
Are there any alternatives that anyone is aware of?
[1] If you are not familiar with GraphViz, see this amusing introduction that maps the social network in R. Kelly's hit hip hopera, "Trapped in the Closet".