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Introduction To NodeXL

NodeXL is a plugin for Excel that allows for network analysis and visualization. It has several tabs for edges, vertices, groups, and metrics. Users can import various file types and data from social media sites. The interface provides options to customize node properties, calculate metrics, select nodes, and export data. Twitter data can be imported based on user lists, search terms, or a central user.

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135 views4 pages

Introduction To NodeXL

NodeXL is a plugin for Excel that allows for network analysis and visualization. It has several tabs for edges, vertices, groups, and metrics. Users can import various file types and data from social media sites. The interface provides options to customize node properties, calculate metrics, select nodes, and export data. Twitter data can be imported based on user lists, search terms, or a central user.

Uploaded by

zaheerimpeccable1116
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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COMM 645 HANDOUT NODEXL BASICS

NodeXL: Network Overview, Discovery and Exploration for Excel. Download from nodexl.codeplex.com
Plugin for social media/Facebook import: socialnetimporter.codeplex.com
Plugin for Microsoft Exchange import: exchangespigot.codeplex.com
Plugin for Voson hyperlink network import: voson.anu.edu.au/node/13#VOSON-NodeXL

Note that NodeXL requires MS Office 2007 or 2010. If your system does not support those (or you do not
have them installed), try using one of the computers in the PhD office.

Major sections within NodeXL:

Edges Tab: Edge list (Vertex 1 = source, Vertex 2 = destination) and attributes (Fig.11a)
Vertices Tab: Nodes and attribute (nodes can be imported from the edge list) (Fig.11b)
Groups Tab: Groups of nodes defined by attribute, clusters, or components (Fig.11c)
Groups Vertices Tab: Nodes belonging to each group (Fig.11d)
Overall Metrics Tab: Network and node measures & graphs (Fig.11e)

Figure 1: The NodeXL Interface

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Download more network handouts at www.kateto.net / www.ognyanova.net 1


After you install the NodeXL template, a new NodeXL tab will appear in your Excel interface.
The following features will be available in it:

Fig.1 1: Switch between different data tabs. The most important two tabs are "Edges" and "Vertices".

Fig.1 2: Import data into NodeXL. The formats you can use include GraphML, UCINET DL files, and
Pajek .net files, among others. You can also import data from social media: Flickr, YouTube, Twitter,
Facebook (requires a plugin), or a hyperlink networks (requires a plugin).

Fig.1 3: Refresh the graph visualization after changing some of its properties.

Fig.1 4: Automate and run a series of tasks (each also available in other parts of the interface).

Fig.1 5: Select the graph layout you'd like to use for the network visualization.

Fig.1 6: Are the links in your data directed or undirected?

Fig.1 7: Use "Autofill Columns" to change the visual characteristics of nodes and edges based on
attributes or network measures. For example, you can change the color, shape, size, and opacity of
nodes based on an attribute (e.g. color by gender) or a structural property (e.g. size by in-degree
centrality). The "Options" button in the "Autofill Columns" menu will allow you to tweak the settings for
the specific attribute/property you are interested in visualizing.

Fig.1 8: Change the visual characteristics (color, size, shape, line width, opacity, etc.) of selected
nodes or edges. To use images for nodes (e.g. the profile pictures of social media users), you need to
select shape "Image". Then add URLs / local file locations for the image file associated with each node to
a column named "Image File" (URLs will be added automatically when you use NodeXL to collect
Twitter/etc. social network data).

Fig.1 9: Calculate various node and network-level metrics. Those include node in-degree, out-degree,
betweenness, closeness, and eigenvector centrality; network reciprocity, clustering coefficient,
modularity, and so on. Once calculated, node metrics will appear as new columns in your "Vertices" tab
(Fig.11b). Graph metrics will appear in the "Overall Metrics" tab (Fig.11e).

Fig.1 10: Select specific nodes/edges based on different attributes and structural characteristics (e.g.
select nodes with specific levels/ranges of degree, closeness centrality, attributes, etc.) The nodes that
are not included in the selection will be hidden from the graph visualization.

Fig.1 11: Create thumbnails/subgraph images for each vertex in the data. You can select how many
steps out from your focal node will be included in the subgraphs.

Fig.1 12: Group nodes based on their attributes, or the clusters/components they belong to. The
groups will appear in the "Groups" and "Group Vertices" tabs (Fig.11c, 1d).

Fig.1 13: Import/Export/Reset the options you have set across NodeXL workbooks.

Fig.1 14: Get help!

Download more network handouts at www.kateto.net / www.ognyanova.net 2


Figure 2: NodeXL Graph Pane
1

Most of the options in the Graph Pane are similar to the ones available in the NodeXL tab. One
additional menu here can be accessed from the Graph Options button (Fig.2 1). The menu will allow
you to set multiple visual properties affecting all nodes and edges in the graph visualization (e.g. straight
or curved edges, shadows for nodes, etc.).

Figure 3: Importing Twitter Data

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Download more network handouts at www.kateto.net / www.ognyanova.net 3


Importing Twitter Data

To collect Twitter data using NodeXL, you have to select one of the three available options from the
import menu (Fig.1 2):

1) Twitter network based on a list of users (Fig.3 1).


(Types of relationships include following or mentions/replies in latest tweets)
2) Twitter network based on a search term/hashtag (Fig.3 2).
(Types of relationships include following or mentions/replies in tweets. You can also opt to
include in the analysis tweets that do not contain mentions/replies).
3) Twitter networks centered around a certain user (Fig.3 3).
(Vertices include people followed by and/or following the user. Types of relationships include
following and mentions/replies).
"Levels to include" tells NodeXL how many steps out from the focal user it needs to go. One step
captures all following/followers. Including 1.5 levels also captures the relationships among those
following/followers. The maximum steps out you can go is 2.

Note that Twitter limits the number of requests you can make to its system per hour. The limits are
stricter if NodeXL tries to access Twitter without using your account. If you link your account and
authorize NodeXL to use it, the limit is a bit higher and you can collect more data per hour before
reaching it.

Download more network handouts at www.kateto.net / www.ognyanova.net 4

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