CitNetExplorer

CitNetExplorer is a software tool designed for the visualization and analysis of scientific citation networks. It allows researchers to explore the structure of scientific literature by representing papers as nodes and their citations as directed edges. This visual representation helps users identify influential papers, key research areas, and the evolution of scientific fields over time.

The software can import citation data from various sources, including bibliographic databases like Web of Science and Scopus. Once loaded, CitNetExplorer offers a range of functionalities for network analysis. Users can perform tasks such as calculating centrality measures to identify important documents, clustering the network to discover thematic groups of papers, and tracing citation paths to understand the influence of specific works.

CitNetExplorer is particularly useful for bibliometric analysis and science mapping. It facilitates the identification of research fronts, the assessment of research impact, and the understanding of collaborations and interdependencies within scientific disciplines. The interactive nature of the visualization allows for dynamic exploration of complex networks, making it a valuable tool for researchers, librarians, and policy makers interested in understanding the landscape of scientific research.