Each circle represents an author. Its size is a function of the number of published articles and the author’s rank compared to that of others. For each article, we’ve given the first author a weight of 5, while co-authors have a weight of 1. The area of the circle represents the sum of the weights. Each link represents a collaboration between two authors.
Force-Directed graphs are aesthetically pleasing and intuitive. They offer a very helpful perspective by clustering the circles and thus revealing trends. However, the large amount of data displayed can make it hard to analyze.
Hence, we added interactive features to improve readability:
– Mouse over the circle to highlight the links with co-authors and display the author’s name.
– Click and drag the circle to animate the graph. When clicked, the circle becomes red and “sticky,” which allows you to reshape the layout. Double-click to cancel.
Note: The names permanently displayed are the names of the 15 most prolific authors.