Mermaid Diagram Guide

Overview

Mermaid is a text-based diagramming tool that renders diagrams from Markdown-like syntax. For researchers, Mermaid offers a unique combination of version-controllable source code, instant rendering in documentation platforms (GitHub, GitLab, Notion, Obsidian), and enough expressiveness to create flowcharts, sequence diagrams, class diagrams, Gantt charts, and more.

Unlike graphical tools like draw.io or Lucidchart, Mermaid diagrams live as plain text in your documentation, making them easy to maintain alongside code and papers. They are especially valuable for research documentation, README files, software architecture diagrams in methods sections, and graphical abstracts.

This guide covers the most useful Mermaid diagram types for academic work, with complete syntax references and real-world examples from research contexts. Each diagram type includes a template you can copy and modify for your specific needs.

Flowcharts

Flowcharts are the most common diagram type for describing algorithms, experimental procedures, and data processing pipelines.

Basic Syntax

flowchart TD
    A[Start] --> B{Decision}