Visualizing Human Factors and Ergonomics Publications: Word clouds and Word networks

摘要

Objective: This paper explores the strengths and limits of word clouds and word networks in visualizingthe field of Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE). Background: Large volumes of textual data presentunique analysis and visualization challenges. Visualization techniques must balance the need to makegraphics engaging, accessible, and informative. Method: The analysis considers 11,911 abstracts from twodecades of papers published in 11 HFE journals. A common graphical representation of text data—wordclouds—is compared with word networks. Results: Word clouds and word networks both highlightimportant terms of HFE, but word networks provide additional information regarding the sematic structureof the field. Restyling what has become known as the “mullet of the internet” could make a valuablecontribution to analyzing textual data. Conclusion: Like other visualization techniques that conveycomplex relationships, word networks offer more insight than word clouds, but at the cost of being lessaccessible than simple word clouds. Application: Word networks offer a promising alternative to wordclouds by providing a more complete view of textual data.