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1 year ago in Scientometrics By Krirthi

How can VOSviewer’s "Overlay Visualization" mode be used to analyze the temporal development of research themes, for example by tracking the average publication year?

I'm analyzing a field's development across two decades. The static network shows clusters, but I need to dynamically see which themes are emerging, stable, or declining. The 'average publication year' overlay seems designed for this, but I want guidance on its practical application and interpretation.

 

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By Raghu Answered 8 months ago

The Overlay Visualization is my go-to for telling a temporal story. I use the average publication year attribute, which colors nodes on a spectrum (e.g., blue for older, yellow for recent). I have seen this reveal clear patterns: clusters dominated by cooler colors represent established, foundational themes. Isolated nodes or sub-clusters in warm colors indicate emerging, niche topics. The real insight comes from looking at the color composition within a cluster if it's a mix, that theme is actively evolving. I would recommend using this to contextualize your static network, highlighting trajectories.

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