"Manual" software for documenting networks
October 11, 2020 3:43 AM Subscribe
I'm doing some research on interrelated organisations. I was initially mapping it on paper, but it has grown out of control. But I'm struggling to find the right software to help me manage it....
My research universe is a set of organisations and actors interconnected in a network (e.g. actors are directors of one or more of the organisations).
This is manual work and not data science - I am reading multiple documents and making detailed notes on each of the organisations and actors. The documents also give me details of how the organisations and actors are interlinked. Over time, I am slowly building a picture of all the entities and their social network.
I thought there would be some simple software to manage both my notes and map the relationships, but I can't find anything. I want something simple - the ability to make a set of notes which are then interlinked to each other.
I tried Gephi but it more focussed on the data side of things and is not good for my notes. Software like Scrivener and Nvivo are good for the notes, but managing the relationships is a hack. Doing it in Excel would be possible but messy.
Any suggestions for software? (bonus points for cheap or open source)
My research universe is a set of organisations and actors interconnected in a network (e.g. actors are directors of one or more of the organisations).
This is manual work and not data science - I am reading multiple documents and making detailed notes on each of the organisations and actors. The documents also give me details of how the organisations and actors are interlinked. Over time, I am slowly building a picture of all the entities and their social network.
I thought there would be some simple software to manage both my notes and map the relationships, but I can't find anything. I want something simple - the ability to make a set of notes which are then interlinked to each other.
I tried Gephi but it more focussed on the data side of things and is not good for my notes. Software like Scrivener and Nvivo are good for the notes, but managing the relationships is a hack. Doing it in Excel would be possible but messy.
Any suggestions for software? (bonus points for cheap or open source)
Would concept mapping software be of use? I don't have a lot of experience with specific programs, but there are a few out there. Here's a random review of some options that I found. It leaves off Prezi, which was one of the earlier programs that allowed you to do concept maps, but I guess has a different overall focus. Wikipedia has a list of concept and mind mapping software, too.
There's specialized math software for building and displaying graphs, but that probably requir s a little more background reading to make the interface make any sort of sense. On the other hand, engineers might have some software for displaying networks that might be a little more approachable? Concept mapping software is likely better suited to your use, regardless.
This also sounds like the recent fpp on the blue about relational databases might be relevant?
posted by eviemath at 6:04 AM on October 11, 2020
There's specialized math software for building and displaying graphs, but that probably requir s a little more background reading to make the interface make any sort of sense. On the other hand, engineers might have some software for displaying networks that might be a little more approachable? Concept mapping software is likely better suited to your use, regardless.
This also sounds like the recent fpp on the blue about relational databases might be relevant?
posted by eviemath at 6:04 AM on October 11, 2020
The Brain is worth checking out. Company has been around since 1998, and I think a demo was released a year or two previously.
posted by Sophont at 9:02 AM on October 11, 2020
posted by Sophont at 9:02 AM on October 11, 2020
GraphViz for visuals, AWS GraphQL for the relationships. NodeXL gets some praise for extending Excel with a usable graph interface.
posted by k3ninho at 11:17 AM on October 11, 2020
posted by k3ninho at 11:17 AM on October 11, 2020
basic take: this is what html is for; linking 'notes' in a graph.
the resulting site-map is your visualized network.
Simplest thing that could possibly work.
posted by j_curiouser at 11:46 AM on October 11, 2020
the resulting site-map is your visualized network.
Simplest thing that could possibly work.
posted by j_curiouser at 11:46 AM on October 11, 2020
Dynalist, with tags and internal links? Can also display in a mind map format.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:26 AM on October 12, 2020
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:26 AM on October 12, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
Basically you are looking for wiki-style software, or at least that's where I'd start. Then see if it has visualization functionality or can export to something you can visualize.
posted by ropeladder at 5:21 AM on October 11, 2020