Author To Publication Network Dataset For NodeXL

Step 1: Launch NodeXL in Excel

1. Open Microsoft Excel.
2. Go to the NodeXL tab that should appear in the ribbon if the add-in is installed correctly.

Step 2: Open a New NodeXL Template

1. In the NodeXL ribbon, click on Graph > New Workbook to open a new NodeXL workbook template.
   • This template has several worksheets like Edges, Vertices, Groups, etc., where you will input your data.

Step 3: Prepare Your CSV Data

1. Review your CSV file to ensure it is formatted as follows:
   • For Edges (if your CSV contains relationships between nodes): The file should have at least two columns — one for the Source (Author 1) and one for the Target (Author 2).
   • For Vertices (if you have node attributes): The file should have a column for the vertex name (e.g., author names) and additional columns for attributes like publications, affiliations, etc.

Step 4: Import CSV Data into NodeXL

1. In the NodeXL tab, click on Data Import > From Open Workbook or From Other Workbook.
2. In the file selection dialog box, browse and select your CSV flat file.
3. Map the columns:
   • For edges, map the "Source" column to the author initiating the relationship (co-authorship) and the "Target" column to the co-author.
   • For vertices, map additional attributes if your CSV includes them.
4. Once you confirm the mapping, the data will populate into the respective Edges or Vertices sheets within the NodeXL workbook.

Step 5: Review Data in NodeXL Sheets

1. Edges Sheet: After importing the data, check the Edges worksheet. It should display your CSV data in the "Source" and "Target" columns, representing relationships between authors.
2. Vertices Sheet: If you imported node attributes (e.g., author details), check the Vertices worksheet for any associated attributes.

Step 6: Customize Visualization Settings (Optional)

1. In the NodeXL tab, explore options under Graph to modify:
   • Layout: Select a graph layout (e.g., Fruchterman-Reingold, Harel-Koren Fast Multiscale).
   • Vertex Properties: Customize node shapes, sizes, and colors based on attributes.
   • Edge Properties: Set edge color, width, or transparency based on the strength or frequency of co-authorship.

Step 7: Visualize the Network

1. Once the data is ready and customized, click on Show Graph in the NodeXL ribbon to generate the network visualization.
   • This will display the graph based on your imported CSV data, showing nodes (authors) and edges (co-authorships).

Step 8: Analyze the Network

1. Use Metrics: You can run built-in network analysis metrics like degree centrality, betweenness centrality, or clustering coefficients via Graph Metrics in the ribbon.
2. Analyze Relationships: Use these metrics to analyze the strength of relationships, central players in the network, and potential clusters within your data.

Step 9: Export the Graph (Optional)

1. To export the visualized network, go to Export in the NodeXL tab and choose to save it as an image file or export it to a format compatible with other visualization tools.