Valence graph tool for custom network maps

Abstract

A valence graph may be constructed that depicts words, phrases, links, objects, and the like that are preferred by one sub-cluster over another sub-cluster. Such valence graphs may use aggregated sets of clusters defined by users to display dimensions of substantive interest. The valence graph may be constructed by partitioning an online author network into at least one set of source nodes with a similar linking history to form an attentive cluster and at least one set of outlink targets with a similar citation profile to form an outlink bundle and then generating a graphical representation of attentive clusters and/or outlink bundles in the network to enable interpretation of network features and behavior and calculation of comparative statistical measures across the attentive clusters and outlink bundles, wherein at least one element of the graphical representation depicts a measure of an extent of a type of activity within the network.

1 - 58 . (canceled) 
     
     
         59 . A method, comprising:
 partitioning an online author network into at least one set of source nodes with a similar linking history to form an attentive cluster and at least one set of outlink targets with a similar citation profile to form an outlink bundle; and   generating a graphical representation of attentive clusters and/or outlink bundles in the network to enable interpretation of network features and behavior and calculation of comparative statistical measures across the attentive clusters and outlink bundles, wherein at least one element of the graphical representation depicts a measure of an extent of a type of activity within the network.   
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59 , further comprising, further segmenting the network using at least one of a text, an online content, a link, and an object. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein outlink targets are represented in the graphical representation by x-y coordinate. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein the source node in the graphical representation is represented by an individual dot. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the size of the dot is determined based on the number of other source nodes that link to it. 
     
     
         64 . A method, comprising:
 partitioning an online author network into at least one set of source nodes with a similar linking history to form an attentive cluster and at least one set of outlink targets with a similar citation profile to form an outlink bundle;   calculating a cluster focus index score (CFI) for the attentive cluster, wherein the CFI represents the degree to which a particular outlink target is disproportionately cited by at least one source node of a particular attentive cluster; and   generating a graphical representation of attentive clusters and/or outlink bundles in the network, wherein at least one element of the graphical representation depicts a measure of an extent of a type of activity within the network;   wherein the higher the CFI score, the higher the attentive cluster appears along at least one axis of the graphical representation,   
     
     
         65 . A method, comprising:
 partitioning an online author network into at least one set of source nodes with a similar linking history to form an attentive cluster and at least one set of outlink targets with a similar citation profile to form an outlink bundle;   generating a graphical representation of link targets, semantic events, and node-associated metadata scattered in an x-y coordinate space, wherein the dimensions of the graph are custom-defined using sets of attentive clusters grouped to represent substantive dimensions of interest for a particular analysis.