Network Overview
Interactive D3.js force-directed graph visualization of your research network with health scoring, AI insights, and sector-based analysis.
The Network Overview at /arksphere/network provides an interactive force-directed graph built with D3.js that visualizes how researchers, organizations, spheres, and projects in your network are connected. It includes a network health score, AI-generated insights, and sector-based visual grouping.
Understanding the Graph
The visualization renders your research network as a force-directed graph where entities are nodes and relationships are links. The layout automatically arranges nodes based on their connections, forming natural clusters around closely related entities.
Node Types
Six node types appear in the graph:
| Node Type | Represents |
|---|---|
| User | Your own profile, centered in the graph |
| Person | Researchers in your network |
| Organization | Institutions and companies |
| Sphere | Research communities you belong to |
| Institution | Institutional affiliations |
| Project | Research projects linking people and organizations |
Node size scales with connection count -- entities with more relationships appear as larger nodes.
Link Types
Edges between nodes represent specific relationship types:
- Connection -- A mutual connection between two researchers.
- Collaboration -- A working relationship through shared projects or activities.
- Sphere membership -- Participation in the same research community.
- Shared expertise -- Overlap in research focus areas or knowledge fields.
Sector-Based Coloring
Nodes are color-coded by sector to make the graph easier to parse at a glance:
| Sector | Description |
|---|---|
| Academia | Universities and research institutes |
| Industry | Private companies and enterprises |
| Government | Public sector and government bodies |
| Startup | Early-stage companies and spin-offs |
| NGO | Non-governmental and non-profit organizations |
Interacting with the Graph
The network map supports standard graph interaction patterns:
- Pan and zoom -- Click and drag to move around the graph. Use the scroll wheel or pinch gestures to zoom. Zooming in reveals node labels and link details.
- Click a node -- Selecting a node highlights it and its immediate connections while dimming unrelated parts of the network. A detail panel opens showing the entity's profile summary and direct connections.
- Hover -- Hovering over a node displays a tooltip with the entity's name, type, and key information.
- Drag nodes -- Reposition individual nodes by dragging them to explore different arrangements of the network.
Network Health Score
The Network Overview calculates a health score from 0 to 100 that assesses the strength and diversity of your research network. The score is broken down into four components:
| Component | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Connections score | The size and reach of your direct connections |
| Engagement score | How actively you interact with your network |
| Diversity score | The variety of sectors, disciplines, and geographies in your network |
| Growth score | The rate at which your network is expanding over time |
Each component contributes to the overall score. The breakdown is displayed alongside the graph, giving you a clear picture of where your network is strong and where there is room to grow.
Network Insights
Below the health score, AI-generated insights provide actionable analysis of your network:
- Recommendations -- Suggested connections, organizations, or spheres that would strengthen your network based on gap analysis.
- Gap analysis -- Identification of missing expertise areas, underrepresented sectors, or geographic gaps in your network relative to your research interests.
- Strength indicators -- Highlights of the strongest clusters and most valuable connections in your network.
Insights are refreshed periodically and can also be manually refreshed.
Navigating from the Graph
The Network Overview connects to other ArkSphere sections:
- Click any person node and select View Profile to open their page in the People Directory.
- Click an organization node to view its full profile in the Organizations directory.
- Click a sphere node to navigate to that Sphere's detail page.
- Use recommendations from the insights panel to take direct action, such as sending connection requests or joining suggested spheres.