Chapter 13 - Visualizing networks

Summary

In this chapter, we introduce visualization techniques for networks, what problems we face, and solutions we use, to make those visualizations as effective as possible. Visualization is an essential tool for exploring network data, revealing patterns that may not be easily inferred from statistics alone. Although network visualization can be done in many ways, the most common approach is through two-dimensional node-link diagrams. Properly laying out nodes and choosing the mapping between network and visual properties is essential to create an effective visualization, which requires iteration and fine-tuning. For dense networks, filtering or aggregating the data may be necessary. Following an iterative, back-and-forth workflow is essential, trying different layout methods and filtering steps to show the networks structure best while keeping the original questions and goals in mind. Visualization is not always the endpoint of a network analysis but can also be a useful step in the middle of an exploratory data analysis pipeline, similar to traditional statistical visualization of non-network data.