6 Weeks Course on Networks Visual Exploration

(2) Extra Session on Network Data Prepration

(3) Data Shaping Techniques and Challenges

(6) Exploring with Timeline, Map, and Coordinated View

In this page you can find material related to our course on Visual Exploration of Networks. For full details about the course, please visit the course’s info page.

Course Goals

Structure your network data and prepare it for visualization with the Vistorian.
Define goals of your exploration and what you aim to learn about your network data using visualizations.
Know a range of network visualizations, through theory and hands-on use.
Use different types of interactive visualizations to explore your data.

Part (1): Network Data Prepration

In this part we introduce data prepration for network creation. This includes what considerations and decisions you need to take while preparing your network’s data.

Session 1 Network Data Prepration

In the first session we introduce the following concepts:

Dataset selected for Hands-on Activities
Ethics & Data Privacy
What is a Network?
What is Network Exploration?
Role of Visualizations in Network Exploration
Sketching your network
Network Concept Map
Creating Node and/or Link Tables
How can you format your network data?

Click here for week (1) session’s slides.

Session 2 Extra Session on Network Data Prepration

In the second session we emphasize more how to prepare your network data through more examples. The session’s outline is as following:

Discussion on Challenges Faced from Concept Map and Network Tables
Examples on Company Network
Re-practice Activities on Creating Network Concept Maps & Tables

Click here for week (2) session’s slides.

Session 3 Data Shaping Techniques and Challenges

In the third session we discuss how specify and decide on additional attributes such as link weight. Also, we discuss how can you take other decisions while preparing your data on other aspects based on your research goal and dataset context. This session’s outline is:

Discussion on Challenges Faced from Concept Map and Network Tables
Examples on Visual Network Exploration
Ensuring Consistency of your Data
Common Challenges in Network Visualizations
Assistive Techniques in Shaping your Data

Click here for week (3) session’s slides.

Part (2): Visual Network Exploration

In this part we start disucssing how to explore your network visually through different network visualizations. This includes how to understand visual encodings, explore patterns, and other stratigies in visual exploration (e.g. temporal exploration).

Session 4 Exploring with Node-link Diagrams

In the fourth session we introduce Network Visual Exploration as a concept. Then we start describing how can we visually explore networks using node-link diagrams, what to consider when exploring them and what kind of questions to ask while exploring such diagrams. This session’s outline is as following:

What is visual network exploration?
How to close-reading a network diagram? (visual patterns)
Asking questions to your data (questions + hypotheses)
Performing interactive exploration (strategies)

Click here for week (4) session’s slides.

Session 5 Exploring with Adjacency Matrix

In the fifth session we introduce how to explore network data using adjacency matrix. This includes how they are created, how to read their visual encodings and what kind of patterns an analyst can find and how to interpret. The outline of this session is as following:

Sparse vs. Dense Networks
What is an Adjacency Matrix?
Visual Encodings
Visual Patterns
Demo

Click here for week (5) session’s slides.

Session 6 Exploring with Timeline, Map, and Coordinated View

In the sixth sessions we cover two additional visualizations (Timeline and Map) in addition to the coordinated view. The outline of this session is as following:

Timeline Visualization
Maps
Demo
Group Exercise
Questions & Discussion

Click here for week (6) session’s slides.

P.S. For any additional inquiries about the material, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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