VOSviewer JSON files
VOSviewer JSON files are JSON files for storing a network. These files can also store a configuration of VOSviewer Online to be used for visualizing the network.
JSON format
Top level
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| network | Object | Network object representing a network. |
| config | Object | Config object specifying a configuration of VOSviewer Online to be used for visualizing the network. |
| info | Object | Info object providing information about the visualization of the network. |
Network object
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| items | Array | Array of Item objects, each representing an item in a network. |
| links | Array | Array of Link objects, each representing a link in a network. |
| clusters | Array | Array of Cluster objects, each representing a cluster of items in a network. |
Item object
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| id | String or integer | ID of an item. |
| label | String | Label of an item. |
| description | String | Description of an item. A description may include HTML formatting. |
| url | String | URL of an item. |
| x | Float | Horizontal coordinate of an item. |
| y | Float | Vertical coordinate of an item. |
| cluster | Integer | Cluster to which an item belongs. A cluster is represented by an integer between 1 and 1000. |
| weights | Object map of key-value pairs | Weights of an item. Each weight is represented by a key and a value. The key is a string. The value is a non-negative number. For example: "weights": { "Publications": 190, "Citations": 4213, "Norm. citations": 314.2 }. |
| scores | Object map of key-value pairs | Scores of an item. Each score is represented by a key and a value. The key is a string. The value is a number. |
Link object
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| source_id | String or integer | ID of a source item. |
| target_id | String or integer | ID of a target item. |
| strength | Float | Strength of the link between a source item and a target item. The strength is a non-negative number. |
Cluster object
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| cluster | Integer | Cluster. A cluster is represented by an integer between 1 and 1000. |
| label | String | Label of a cluster. |
Config object
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| color_schemes | Object | Color_schemes object specifying custom color schemes used by VOSviewer Online. |
| parameters | Object | Parameters object specifying parameters used by VOSviewer Online. |
| terminology | Object | Terminology object specifying terminology used by VOSviewer Online. |
| templates | Object | Templates object specifying templates used by VOSviewer Online. |
| styles | Object | Styles object specifying styles used by VOSviewer Online. |
Color_schemes object
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| cluster_colors | Array | Array of Cluster_color objects, each representing a cluster and the corresponding color. |
| score_colors | Array | Array of Score_colors objects, each representing a rescaled score and the corresponding color. |
Cluster_color object
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| cluster | Integer | Cluster. A cluster is represented by an integer between 1 and 1000. |
| color | String | Color of a cluster. A color is represented by a hexadecimal code (e.g., #ee3e80). |
Score_color object
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| rescaled_score | Float | Rescaled score. A rescaled score is a number between 0 and 1. |
| color | String | Color of a rescaled score. A color is represented by a hexadecimal code (e.g., #ee3e80). |
Parameters object
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| attraction | Integer | Value of the Attraction parameter on the Update tab in the control panel. |
| repulsion | Integer | Value of the Repulsion parameter on the Update tab in the control panel. |
| largest_component | Boolean | A network may consist of multiple components. When the layout of a network is created or updated, the network can be reduced to its largest component or the full network can be kept. |
| resolution | Float | Value of the Resolution parameter on the Update tab in the control panel. |
| min_cluster_size | Integer | Value of the Minimum cluster size parameter on the Update tab in the control panel. |
| merge_small_clusters | Boolean | Value of the Merge small clusters switch on the Update tab in the control panel. |
| scale | Float | Value of the Scale slider on the View tab in the control panel. |
| item_size | Integer | Value of the Size drop down list on the View tab in the control panel (1 for the first option, 2 for the second option, etc.). |
| item_color | Integer | Value of the Color drop down list on the View tab in the control panel (1 for the first option, 2 for the second option, etc.). |
| item_size_variation | Float | Value of the Size variation slider for items on the View tab in the control panel. |
| max_label_length | Integer | Value of the Maximum label length parameter on the View tab in the control panel. |
| link_size_variation | Float | Value of the Size variation slider for links on the View tab in the control panel. |
| min_link_strength | Float | Value of the Minimum strength parameter on the View tab in the control panel. |
| max_n_links | Integer | Value of the Maximum links parameter on the View tab in the control panel. |
| curved_links | Boolean | Value of the Curved links switch on the View tab in the control panel. |
| score_colors | String | Value of the Score colors drop down list on the View tab in the control panel ('Viridis', 'Plasma', 'Rainbow', 'White-blue-purple', 'White-yellow-green-blue', 'White-yellow-orange-red', 'Coolwarm', or 'Spectral'). |
| min_score | Float | Value of the Min. score parameter in the legend. |
| max_score | Float | Value of the Max. score parameter in the legend. |
| zoom_level | Float | Initial zoom level of the visualization in the main panel. The zoom level has a value of at least 1. |
| show_info | Boolean | When opening a network, show or do not show information about the visualization of the network. |
| show_item | String | Item on which the visualization in the main panel will be zoomed in. The item is designated by its label. |
| simple_ui | Boolean | Simple or normal user interface. The use of the simple user interface is recommended when embedding a visualization in a webpage. |
| dark_ui | Boolean | Dark or light user interface. |
Terminology object
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| item | String | Term used to refer to an item (singular). |
| items | String | Term used to refer to an item (plural). |
| link | String | Term used to refer to a link (singular). |
| links | String | Term used to refer to a link (plural). |
| cluster | String | Term used to refer to a cluster (singular). |
| clusters | String | Term used to refer to a cluster (plural). |
| link_strength | String | Term used to refer to the strength of a link. |
| total_link_strength | String | Term used to refer to the total link strength of an item. |
Templates object
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| item_description | String | Template for the description of an item. |
| link_description | String | Template for the description of a link. |
Styles object
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| description_heading | String | CSS style for headings in the description of an item or a link. |
| description_label | String | CSS style for labels in the description of an item or a link. |
| description_text | String | CSS style for text in the description of an item or a link. |
| description_url | String | CSS style for URLs in the description of an item or a link. |
Info object
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| title | String | Title of the visualization of a network. |
| description | String | Description of the visualization of a network. A description may include HTML formatting. |
Example
This is an example of a VOSviewer JSON file:
{
"network": {
"items": [
{
"id": 1,
"label": "James",
"x": 1.0551,
"y": -0.2935,
"cluster": 2,
"weights": {
"Documents": 88,
"Citations": 4221,
"Norm. citations": 109.3879
},
"scores": {
"Avg. pub. year": 1996.8409,
"Avg. citations": 47.9659,
"Avg. norm. citations": 1.243
}
},
{
"id": 2,
"label": "Mary",
"x": 0.7492,
"y": 0.2841,
"cluster": 2,
"weights": {
"Documents": 91,
"Citations": 1994,
"Norm. citations": 55.0416
},
"scores": {
"Avg. pub. year": 2011.7363,
"Avg. citations": 21.9121,
"Avg. norm. citations": 0.6049
}
},
{
"id": 3,
"label": "John",
"x": -0.6243,
"y": -0.7247,
"cluster": 1,
"weights": {
"Documents": 89,
"Citations": 3178,
"Norm. citations": 143.3831
},
"scores": {
"Avg. pub. year": 2017.1461,
"Avg. citations": 35.7079,
"Avg. norm. citations": 1.611
}
},
{
"id": 4,
"label": "Linda",
"x": -0.0722,
"y": 0.0248,
"cluster": 3,
"weights": {
"Documents": 261,
"Citations": 7177,
"Norm. citations": 209.8957
},
"scores": {
"Avg. pub. year": 2010.2146,
"Avg. citations": 27.4981,
"Avg. norm. citations": 0.8042
}
},
{
"id": 5,
"label": "David",
"x": 0.1026,
"y": 0.4626,
"cluster": 3,
"weights": {
"Documents": 124,
"Citations": 5843,
"Norm. citations": 199.8492
},
"scores": {
"Avg. pub. year": 2010.7581,
"Avg. citations": 47.121,
"Avg. norm. citations": 1.6117
}
},
{
"id": 6,
"label": "Sarah",
"x": -0.5883,
"y": 0.3511,
"cluster": 4,
"weights": {
"Documents": 228,
"Citations": 12930,
"Norm. citations": 436.0204
},
"scores": {
"Avg. pub. year": 2013.1798,
"Avg. citations": 56.7105,
"Avg. norm. citations": 1.9124
}
},
{
"id": 7,
"label": "Paul",
"x": -0.3409,
"y": 0.7997,
"cluster": 4,
"weights": {
"Documents": 168,
"Citations": 9850,
"Norm. citations": 294.1641
},
"scores": {
"Avg. pub. year": 2012.6071,
"Avg. citations": 58.631,
"Avg. norm. citations": 1.751
}
},
{
"id": 8,
"label": "Karen",
"x": -0.6236,
"y": -0.1752,
"cluster": 1,
"weights": {
"Documents": 181,
"Citations": 3733,
"Norm. citations": 173.188
},
"scores": {
"Avg. pub. year": 2016.3149,
"Avg. citations": 20.6243,
"Avg. norm. citations": 0.9568
}
},
{
"id": 9,
"label": "Daniel",
"x": -0.1581,
"y": -0.5063,
"cluster": 1,
"weights": {
"Documents": 395,
"Citations": 9382,
"Norm. citations": 344.7116
},
"scores": {
"Avg. pub. year": 2014.1013,
"Avg. citations": 23.7519,
"Avg. norm. citations": 0.8727
}
},
{
"id": 10,
"label": "Emily",
"x": 0.5004,
"y": -0.2224,
"cluster": 2,
"weights": {
"Documents": 431,
"Citations": 13528,
"Norm. citations": 371.2338
},
"scores": {
"Avg. pub. year": 2006.7889,
"Avg. citations": 31.3875,
"Avg. norm. citations": 0.8613
}
}
],
"links": [
{
"source_id": 1,
"target_id": 2,
"strength": 10
},
{
"source_id": 1,
"target_id": 10,
"strength": 88
},
{
"source_id": 2,
"target_id": 5,
"strength": 1
},
{
"source_id": 2,
"target_id": 7,
"strength": 1
},
{
"source_id": 2,
"target_id": 10,
"strength": 91
},
{
"source_id": 3,
"target_id": 6,
"strength": 3
},
{
"source_id": 3,
"target_id": 8,
"strength": 14
},
{
"source_id": 3,
"target_id": 9,
"strength": 82
},
{
"source_id": 3,
"target_id": 10,
"strength": 2
},
{
"source_id": 4,
"target_id": 5,
"strength": 13
},
{
"source_id": 4,
"target_id": 6,
"strength": 2
},
{
"source_id": 4,
"target_id": 8,
"strength": 2
},
{
"source_id": 4,
"target_id": 9,
"strength": 3
},
{
"source_id": 4,
"target_id": 10,
"strength": 2
},
{
"source_id": 5,
"target_id": 6,
"strength": 9
},
{
"source_id": 5,
"target_id": 7,
"strength": 10
},
{
"source_id": 5,
"target_id": 9,
"strength": 1
},
{
"source_id": 5,
"target_id": 10,
"strength": 1
},
{
"source_id": 6,
"target_id": 7,
"strength": 140
},
{
"source_id": 6,
"target_id": 8,
"strength": 5
},
{
"source_id": 6,
"target_id": 9,
"strength": 4
},
{
"source_id": 7,
"target_id": 8,
"strength": 3
},
{
"source_id": 7,
"target_id": 10,
"strength": 1
},
{
"source_id": 8,
"target_id": 9,
"strength": 19
}
]
}
}
The above JSON file can be downloaded here.
Providing the JSON file as input to VOSviewer Online yields the following visualization: