Storytelling with networks: realizing the explanatory potential of network diagrams through the integration of qualitative data
Storytelling with networks: realizing the explanatory potential of network diagrams through the integration of qualitative data
Network visualizations are alluring yet deceptively difficult to interpret. This article demonstrates several strategies for integrating qualitative data into interactive network diagrams for the purposes of providing contextual information about actors and their relationships. The result is a new joint display called a Narrated Network Diagram (NND). The development of NNDs aims to make network visualizations more reliable tools for reporting research findings, especially for researchers integrating Social Network Analysis tools into multi- and mixed methods research designs. Until now, researchers primarily use interactivity to support exploratory analysis of large networks at various scales. However, interactivity can also be used to integrate diverse forms of data without sacrificing perceptual efficiency by essentially hiding significant amounts of text within nodes and edges as tooltips or by delineating additional data within legends, titles, and subtitles.
and joint displays, data visualization, mixed methods research, mixed methods social network analysis, social network analysis
Cowhitt, Tom
4ad1a19e-6ed4-42d2-8bc6-b2aabb6b3a7a
Greany, Toby
fb73202c-d53c-4f9e-91ba-a214b31c54dc
Downey, Chris
bb95b259-2e31-401b-8edf-78e8d76bfb8c
August 2023
Cowhitt, Tom
4ad1a19e-6ed4-42d2-8bc6-b2aabb6b3a7a
Greany, Toby
fb73202c-d53c-4f9e-91ba-a214b31c54dc
Downey, Chris
bb95b259-2e31-401b-8edf-78e8d76bfb8c
Cowhitt, Tom, Greany, Toby and Downey, Chris
(2023)
Storytelling with networks: realizing the explanatory potential of network diagrams through the integration of qualitative data.
International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22.
(doi:10.1177/16094069231189369).
Abstract
Network visualizations are alluring yet deceptively difficult to interpret. This article demonstrates several strategies for integrating qualitative data into interactive network diagrams for the purposes of providing contextual information about actors and their relationships. The result is a new joint display called a Narrated Network Diagram (NND). The development of NNDs aims to make network visualizations more reliable tools for reporting research findings, especially for researchers integrating Social Network Analysis tools into multi- and mixed methods research designs. Until now, researchers primarily use interactivity to support exploratory analysis of large networks at various scales. However, interactivity can also be used to integrate diverse forms of data without sacrificing perceptual efficiency by essentially hiding significant amounts of text within nodes and edges as tooltips or by delineating additional data within legends, titles, and subtitles.
Text
Storytelling with Networks_Final Submision
- Accepted Manuscript
Text
cowhitt-et-al-2023-storytelling-with-networks-realizing-the-explanatory-potential-of-network-diagrams-through-the
- Version of Record
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 28 June 2023
e-pub ahead of print date: 16 August 2023
Published date: August 2023
Additional Information:
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2023.
Keywords:
and joint displays, data visualization, mixed methods research, mixed methods social network analysis, social network analysis
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 481239
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/481239
ISSN: 1609-4069
PURE UUID: 92455acc-4417-4a94-8240-da2e2dcce4ff
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 21 Aug 2023 16:37
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 03:05
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Tom Cowhitt
Author:
Toby Greany
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics
