Chapter 4 - Getting Started with NodeXL, Layout, Visual Design, and Labeling

Abstract

The profusion of software tools for social network analysis and visualization demonstrates the strength of interest, but many of these tools are difficult to use, particularly for those who lack experience with programming languages. This chapter introduces NodeXL, an open source software tool that was designed especially to facilitate learning the concepts and methods of social network analysis with visualization as a key component. The NodeXL Template for Microsoft Excel 2007 is a free and open source extension to the widely used spreadsheet application that provides a range of basic network analysis and visualization features. NodeXL uses a highly structured workbook template that includes multiple worksheets to store all the information needed to represent a network graph. Network relationships (i.e., graph edges) are represented as an “edge list” that contains all pairs of vertices that are connected in the network. Other worksheets contain information about each vertex (i.e., node) and cluster (i.e., group). Visualization features allow users to display a range of network graph representations and map data attributes to visual properties including shape, color, size, transparency, and location. NodeXL allows a variety of visual properties, supports powerful filtering, calculates frequently used network metrics, and offers rich support for diverse visual network layouts. It includes powerful automated features, while allowing for manual control of individual vertex placement, labeling, color properties, and the like.