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How should one interpret the size of a node, the thickness of a link, and the distance between clusters on a VOSviewer map?

In my bibliometric analysis, I've generated my first co-occurrence map. I understand these visual elements encode key data, but I want to ensure my foundational interpretation is correct before drawing conclusions from my dataset. Getting this right is crucial for my methodology chapter.

 

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By Shraddha Answered 1 year ago

Based on my experience mapping hundreds of literature sets, I view these elements as a direct visual language. I would recommend interpreting node size as the importance or frequency of a term within your dataset larger nodes are more central. Link thickness shows the strength of co-occurrence; a thick line means those terms are often cited together. The distance between clusters is interpretive: items close together share many links, while separate clusters represent distinct conceptual themes. Always validate this visual reading against the actual numerical data.

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