Key elements of semantic network analysis
| Element (synonyms) | Description | Measure unit | Network visualization representation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Node (actors and vertices) | Semantic unit or concept that represents a unique element in the semantic network (Christensen and Kenett, 2021) | Degree Describes the centrality/significance of the node within a network and is measured by counting the total number of edges connected to a node | Circle Its size depends on the calculated degree of the respective node |
| Edge (links, ties and connections) | Describes the co-occurrence of two or more semantic units/concepts, indicating the relationship, similarity or strength of the associations between two or more nodes (Christensen and Kenett, 2021) | Weight Represents the strength of the relationship between connected nodes and is typically determined by the frequency of the co-occurrence | Connecting line Its thickness depends on the weight of the edge |
| Modularity classes (clusters and communities) | The outcome of an algorithmic process that compartmentalizes a network into thematic subnetworks based on densely connected nodes within the network (Segev, 2021) | Percentage size Describes the size of a respective modularity class relative to the entire network | Distinct node colors Each subnetwork is uniformly colored |
| Element (synonyms) | Description | Measure unit | Network visualization representation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Node (actors and vertices) | |||
| Edge (links, ties and connections) | Describes the | ||
| Modularity classes (clusters and communities) | The outcome of an algorithmic process that compartmentalizes a network into thematic |