Social Network Visualization via Domain Ontology

Abstract

Social network analysis and visualization is an active area of study but good organizations of social network information are lacking. This paper proposes a domain ontology model focusing on social network information, which abstracts the impersonal existences in social network information domain into some primary ontologies. According to the requirements of social network structure analysis, we propose a Subgroup Analysis Layout (SAL) algorithm based on domain ontology model. SAL algorithm analyzes the subgroups through the analysis of roles and key attributes. Then the results of subgroup analysis are used to improve the force directed layout algorithm in analyzing and visualizing the structure of social network. Results with the case of terrorist information demonstrate its advantages. A fine solution is to organize the social network data with domain ontology, and then develop layout algorithms based on it. Ontology is a formal explicit specification of a shared conce- ptualization(2). With the help of domain Ontology, we can organize the information and standardize the definitions fine in the field of social network analysis and visualization. Therefore, methods of social network analysis and new needs of social network visualization or analysis can be defined easily. In this paper, we propose a domain ontology model for field of social network visualization and analysis which abstract the imper- sonal existences in the field into some primary ontologies. To overcome the disadvantages of traditional force directed layout algorithms in analyzing and visualizing the structure of social network, we propose the Subgroup Analysis Layout (SAL) algorithm based on our domain ontology model.