Mapping and visualization: selected examples of international research networks
| Pages | 381-400 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JICES-03-2018-0028 |
| Published date | 12 November 2018 |
| Date | 12 November 2018 |
| Author | Eugenia Smyrnova-Trybulska,Nataliia Morze,Olena Kuzminska,Piet Kommers |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information management & governance,Information & communications technology |
Mapping and visualization:
selected examples of international
research networks
Eugenia Smyrnova-Trybulska
Faculty of Ethnology and Sciences of Education, Uniwersytet Slaski w Katowicach,
Katowice, Poland
Nataliia Morze
Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, Kyiv, Ukraine
Olena Kuzminska
University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, and
Piet Kommers
Universiteit Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
Abstract
Purpose –This paper aimsto describe the popular trends and methods andICT tools used for mapping and
visualizationof scientific domains as a research methodologywhich is attracting more and more interestfrom
scientific informationand science studies professionals. Sciencemapping or bibliometric mapping is a spatial
representation of how disciplines, fields, specialties and individual documents or authors. The researchers
analysed Bibexel,Pajek, VOSViewer, programmes used for processingand visualization of bibliographic and
bibliometric data, within the framework of the implementation of IRNet research network project and
activitiesand presented several examples of visualisation.
Design/methodology/approach –Among the main indicators of research effectiveness–bibliometric
indicators –is a powerfulinformation tool to support the development of science.Practical research methods
were prepared using the programs: Bibexel (metadata analyses), program Pajek: graph editing and
visualizationof the graph structure of co-authorship –using the method of Kamada-Kawaiand VOSviewer: a
computer program for creating maps based on networkdata and for visualizing and exploring these maps.
The main features of VOSviewer can be summarizedfor creating maps based on network data, visualizing
and exploringmaps.
Findings –The cited referencesand keywords are used to analyse in particularthe intellectual base used by
the researchfield or to analyse documentsthat cite the same references.
Originality/value –The authors of the paper, who are researchers of the European IRNet project and
international researchnetwork, described and analysed certain bibliographicresults of these activities using
methodsof mappingand visualizationof scientific domains.
Keywords Networking, Mapping, Project, Visualization, Applications,
Bibliographic and bibliometric data
Paper type Case study
The research leading to these results has received, within the framework of the IRNet project, funding
from the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union’s Seventh Framework
Programme FP7/2007-2013/under REA grant agreement No: PIRSES-GA-2013-612536 and statutory
research.
International
research
networks
381
Received23 March 2018
Revised22 August 2018
Accepted25 August 2018
Journalof Information,
Communicationand Ethics in
Society
Vol.16 No. 4, 2018
pp. 381-400
© Emerald Publishing Limited
1477-996X
DOI 10.1108/JICES-03-2018-0028
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/1477-996X.htm
1. Introduction
The Digital Economy (DE) Theme is supporting research to rapidly realise the
transformational impact of digital technologies on aspects of community life, cultural
experiences, future society and the economy (www.epsrc.ac.uk/research/ourportfolio/
themes/digitaleconomy/). DE brings together a unique community of researchers from
diverse disciplines including social science, engineering, computer science, the arts and
medical research and users including people, businesses and government, to study,
understand and find solutionsto real problems.
Modern science is also undergoing enormouschanges and transformations. Science 2.0 is
a term used to refer to processes, trends and phenomena related to the use of new
technologies and information and communication technologies in science and, in particular,
tools, services, publications and online resources. This trend stresses the benefits of
increased collaboration and cooperation between researchers and scientists. However, it
refers primarily to the consequencesof using these technologies.
At this stage of Web 2.0 development, a populartrend has emerged whereby knowledge
resources are mapped from publicWeb services. For example, a map of English Wikipedia
articles was generated using a measurement registering common categories of articles
(Holloway et al.,2007).User activity specialist services also inspire analysisand mapping of
data such as blogs and forums and users’logs (Bollen et al., 2009). The concept of mapping
and visualization of scientific domainsas a research methodology described in particular in
Cobo et al. (2011, 1383).
Scientometric and bibliometric approaches are being increasingly used by some
authors to assess the evolution and structure of scientific knowledge and R&D output
[Meyer, (2004);Wagner and Leydesdorff (2005);Dietz and Bozeman (2005);Adams,
(2006);Hussler and Ronde (2007)]. Normally, studies within this research field [(Meyer,
(2000);Meyer, (2004);Wagner and Leydesdorff (2005)] aim to appraise the scientific
output of individuals, journals and even organizations (e.g. effective publication in
internationally refereed journals and high citation scores) by surveying and analysing co-
authorships and citation indexes.
In this study, we assume thatan important component of the analysis of the subjectarea
and the dynamics of the developmentof scientific knowledge is an analysis of discourse that
reveals relationships, including hidden ones. Focus of the research: analysis of the
effectiveness of network cooperation between researchers (through co-authorship of
publications) and the degree of elaborationof the subject area (according to the keywords of
publications).
The paper describes an example for the use of mapping and visualization tools for
monitoring the results of joint research within the framework of an international project.
The monitoring was carried out according to the TOTE model (Delaney, 2013) to increase
the effectiveness of the joint network activities for the fulfilment of the project tasks. The
evaluation of results included two groups of indicators, namely, network cooperation
(publication activity and cooperation) and the degree of elaboration of the subject area
(topics of publications).
2. Research context
2.1 IRNet project networking activities
The IRNet project aims to set up a thematic multidisciplinary joint exchange programme
dedicated to research and development of new tools for advanced pedagogical science in the
field of ICT instruments, distance learning and intercultural competencies in the EU (Poland,
The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Slovakia) and non-European countries (Australia, Russia
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