DigiMeth festival, Centre of Interdisciplinary Methodologies at the University of Warwick. December 9, 2022. https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/cim/events/digi-meth/ Workshop facilitators: Janna Joceli Omena, Beatrice Gobbo Abstract: This workshop offers methodological guidance for narrating networks through visual network analysis (VNA) (Venturini et al. 2021) and a technicity perspective to the practice of digital methods (Omena 2021). It is divided into two parts. First, we will introduce what questions we should ask to make sense of network building and the key principles of VNA. Second, students will work on digital and printed recommendation networks aiming at narrating what they see. Main takeaways Students will be able to explore and identify the main components of a digital network Students will reflect on the distinction between what is network exploration (description tasks) and network narration (insights, findings) Students will develop the ability to tell a story about the topic under investigation and what constitutes the network. Requirements: Please bring your own computer and get familiar with Retina (https://ouestware.gitlab.io/retina/beta/) An example of a network 👉 link. Related projects Venturini, T., Jacomy, M., & Jensen, P. (2021). What do we see when we look at networks: Visual network analysis, relational ambiguity, and force-directed layouts. Big Data & Society, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/20539517211018488 Omena, J.J.(2021). Digital Methods and Technicity-of-the-Mediums. From Regimes of Functioning to Digital Research. [Doctoral Dissertation, Nova University Lisbon]. Repositório da Universidade Nova de Lisboa. http://hdl.handle.net/10362/127961 Venturini, Tommaso & Bounegru, Liliana & Jacomy, Mathieu & Gray, Jonathan. (2017). 11. How to Tell Stories with Networks Exploring the Narrative Affordances of Graphs with the Iliad: Studying Culture through Data. 10.1515/9789048531011-014.

1. VISUAL NETWORK
NARRATIONS
JannaJoceli Omena, Beatrice Gobbo
Image credits Pawel Czerwinski from Unsplash

2. Plans
3.45 pm – 4.00 pm
Visual Network Narrations
Introduction
4.00 pm – 4.10 pm
Activity 1
Understanding Network Syntax
4-10 pm – 4.20 pm
Navigational Procedure
Annotation and narration
4.20 pm – 5 pm
Activity 2
Telling stories
5 pm – 5.10 pm
Showcase
Voluntary narration
5.10 pm – 5.15 pm
Closing remarks

3. In this workshop, you will learn about visual network
analysis, knowing how to apply a technicity perspective
to this research practice. We will not follow a
traditional teaching schedule, but one based on
practice, experience and tacit knowledge.

4. What precedes the network visualisation?
What takes place with and in the network?
As a guide to applyvisual networkanalysis yet accountingfor a
technicityperspectiveto this research practice
As a means of narratingdigital networks
Learn by Doing & Question Driven
Teaching Approach

5. Learning Outcomes
By the end of this workshop, we expect you will
→ be able to explore and identify the main components of digital networks
→ reflect on the distinction between what is network exploration (description
tasks) and network narration (insights, findings)
→ develop the ability to tell a story about the topic under investigation and
what constitutes the network.

6. Visual Network
Narrations
Making
Type
Composition
Shape
Annotation
Story

7. Digital Networks
In concept
→ [froma theoretical standpoint,STS] a conceptualmetaphor
(spaceof connections)
→ [from a methodological standpoint,SNA] an analytic or computation
technique
(e.g., the mathematicsof graphs)
→ [from network materiality perspective] Inscriptions"producing relational
data complementary to that of human
relations" (relational dataset)
→ a socio-technical system
[Venturini,Munkand Jacomy, 2019]

8. Visual Network
Narrations
Making
Type
Composition
Shape
Annotation
Story

9. Visual Network
Narrations
Making

10. Digital Networks
In concept
→ a conceptual metaphor
(space of connections)
→ an analytic or computation technique
(e.g., the mathematics of graphs)
→ Inscriptions or digital records "producing
relational data complementary to that of human
relations" (relational dataset)
→ a socio-technical system
[Venturini, Munk and Jacomy, 2019]
In practice
Network of image
circulation: image
URLs where fully
matching /chug/ logos
are found. 4chan,
July 2022.
PROTOCOLS NETWORK VISUALISATIONS
MAKING
[Omena & Amaral, 2019; Omena, Gobbo et al. 2021]

11. YouTube Channel Network
On the right
YouTube channel network representation of
the giant connected component formed by
the 100k+ elite channels (145,117 channels,
2,572,163 edges), sizeindicating subscriber
count.
(Rieder, Coromina, Matamoros-Fernández,
2020)
Python script* → YouTube Data API
*"The script startedfrom a single seed and followed
connections until no new channels were discovered".
MAKING

12. 4Chan Image Circulation Network
4CAT → Archive 4plebs
Board → /pol
subject contains: "chug"
On the right
Network of image circulation: image
URLs where fully matching /chug/
logos are found. 4chan, July 2022.
MAKING

13. Visual Network
Narrations
Making
Type
Composition
TYPE AND COMPOSITION

14. = a set of:
nodes (vertices)
edges
Nodes can be people, organization,
institutions or digital objects (images,
link domains, hashtags, emojis, post, video,
etc.)
Monopartite:
One type of node
Bipartite:
Two types of nodes
Image retrieved from:
https://adrianmejia.com/blog/2018/05/
14/data-structures-for-beginners-
graphs-time-complexity-tutorial/
Graph Representation Types of Connections Degree of Connections
TYPE AND COMPOSITION

15. How do technical mediation, extraction software
associated with platform's mechanisms add meaning to
the data acquired?
Monopartite network
One type of node: YouTube channel
Connections: Subscriptions
Bipartite network
Two types of nodes: images and
webpages
Connections: whether images are found
in webpages
Channels subscribe to or
feature other channels.
Connections may stand for affinity,
endorsement, or interest.
Although threads in 4chan have a short
life span, archives like 4plebs make visual
data accessible.
When invoking Google Vision AI to
detect sites of image circulation, the API
would return results according to Google
Image Search.
TYPE AND COMPOSITION
Network
YouTube Channel Network
4chan Image circulation network
Nodes and Connections Meaning

16. TYPE AND COMPOSITION
YouTube Channel Network
4chan Image circulation network
Network Conceptual Metaphor
A societal response to a still unknow
virus and the specific actors (i.e., news
media outlets, Youtubers)
Sub-cultural reactions to the Russia-
Ukraine war: the pro-Russian visualities
belonging exclusively to 4chan
vernacular and flowing out to other
platforms.

17. Visual Network
Narrations
Making
Type
Composition
Shape

18. Layered diagram
Image Source here
Circular layouts
Image sourcehere
Force-directed layouts:ForceAtlas2
Image source: personal files
SHAPE
There are graph layoutalgorithms ...and force-directedgraph layouts.

19. SHAPE
Beyond existing connections,
what shapes digital networks?
Purpose
→ Serve the purpose of arranging graph structures
→ Aesthetically — minimize edge crossing.
(Fruchterman and Reingold,1991; Kobourov2013; Jacomy et al., 2014)
Functioning
→ Work under the logic of repulsive and attractive forces. (Fruchterman &
Reingold,1991; Jacomy et al., 2014)
→ Calculatethe layout of a graph using only information contained within
the structure of the graph itself, rather than relyingon domain-specific
knowledge.(Kobourov,2013)
Space
→ The space of networks is relative rather absolute, the
space is a consequence and not a condition of element
positioning. (Venturini et al., 2019)
[force-directedlayouts]

20. In Visual Network Analysis
Reading networks require more intuitive
spatial metaphors, and less computational
and statistical metrics.
Different network zones should inform different
perspectives
from how connections are made
and what does it mean
SHAPE

21. Co-hashtag Network of#jornalismoindependente
(independent journalism) Instagram, 2019.
In this network:
• Node proximity means co-occurrence of
hashtagsin a given dataset
• Nodes positionedin different network zones
should inform what are the topics or issues
associated with the hashtag(s) used as entry
point for data collection

22. Co-hashtag Network of#jornalismoindependente
(independent journalism) Instagram, 2019.
[centre]
The hashtag used as entry point to
collect data and
Associated hashtags
Hashtags frequently co-occurring
with #jornalismindependente
[periphery]
Hashtagclusters addressingspecific
agendas,still co-occurringwith
#jornalismindependente
[mid-zone]
Bridginghashtags`
#economy

23. → The overall shape of the network
→ The particularities of different zones
→ The specific situation of a given zone or a node path
→ The connections between clusters
Descriptionsand a good understanding
of what we look at lead us valuable
insights or more questions
We look at
SHAPE

24. Coronavirus
YouTube
Video
Network
https://bit.ly/coronavirus-network

25. Activity 1 —
Understanding
Network Syntax
10 mins
→ Read the pink cards (2m)
→ Quizz (8m)

26. https://bit.ly/coronavirus-network

27. “beside the structures of the
societies they describe, these
networks may also be read
narratively”
Venturini et al., 2017, p.156

28. Visual Network
Narrations
Making
Type
Composition
Shape
Annotation

29. ‘Annotation adds information, labeling, and/or
commentary into any model and can be added to
any feature of a data set present in a display: a
node, edge, point, text, image. Annotations can be
recorded in a data structure as attributes noting
connections, relations, or other analytic and
interpretative features’
Drucker J., Non-representational approaches to modeling interpretationin a graphical
environment, (2018), p.256

30. https://atlantecalvino.unige.ch/compass?lang=en
DensityDesign & UniGe, L’archipelago dei nomi citati nei saggi di Calvino, Atlante Calvino 2020

31. https://atlantecalvino.unige.ch/compass?lang=en
DensityDesign & UniGe, L’archipelago dei nomi citati nei saggi di Calvino, Atlante Calvino 2020

32. https://atlantecalvino.unige.ch/compass?lang=en
DensityDesign & UniGe, L’archipelago dei nomi citati nei saggi di Calvino, Atlante Calvino 2020

33. https://www.drs2022.org/phd-event/
DRS Bilbao 2022. PhD Event

34. https://www.drs2022.org/phd-event/
DRS Bilbao 2022. PhD Event. PhD Student annotating a big printed network.

36. Narrative Affordances of Networks
→The overall shape
→The specific situation
→The connections between two stations or areas

37. One network,
multiple stories

38. One network,
multiple stories

39. One network,
multiple stories

40. One network,
multiple stories

41. Visual Network
Narrations
Making
Type
Composition
Shape
Annotation
Story

42. “A story is defined as all of the
events in a narrative, those
presented directly to an audience
and those which might be inferred”
(Bach et al., 2018, p. 108)

44. Activity 2 — Visual
Network Narrations
https://bit.ly/coronavirus-network

45. Activity 2
25 mins
→ Define roles (annotators,
browsers, googling and
youtoubing).
→ Description and
annotations
(question driven process)
15 mins
→ Decide the story to tell
→ Narrate the story (annotate it
and write it! 2 minutes
showcasing)

46. What is the type of video titles in the centre?
Which kind of videos/channels populate the zones of the network?
Are there bridging nodes connecting different zones?
Why are clusters located in the peripheral zone? Is it the language, location or topic of
the videos?
What do video/channel categoriestell?
What do YouTube engagementmetrics (i.e., view count now and before) inform?
What are the insights provided by community detection (modularity)?
Activity 2

47. In Conclusion
→ VNNs are built on top of VNA
→ VNA e VNN require time, this is just a taste!
→ Annotations can ‘be recorded in a data structure as
attributes’ (Drucker, 2018)
→ Stories can be told using visulisations and Narrative Design
Patterns (Bach et al. 2018)

48. VISUAL NETWORK
NARRATIONS
JannaJoceli Omena, Beatrice Gobbo