Hi everyone,
for a paper I am preparing a plot that links source, method of preparation, and application in a circle-like structure. To discuss it here, I prepared a sketch that should be easier to follow without prior knowledge of my specific field of research (see attached Graphic).
The three circle segments represent vegetables, things you can make from them, and places, where this food might be offered. Lines then connect Veggies, preparations, and types of restaurant, that typically go together.
Examples: Sweet potato chips and potato chips are a thing, hence a connecting line (Zucchini chips and pumkin chips not so much). Vodka is made from potatos, but not sweet potatoes, pumpkin, or Zucchini, and it is served in Pubs, and maybe fine dining restaurants, but rather not in Italian restaurants or Fast-food parlors.
Things I like about this plot-type are:
-I find it aesthetically pleasing.
-You can pretty easily identify niche and common entities from the number of lines originating there (like potatoes and soup going with kinda everything, and Zucchini and Vodka being rather picky).
-Following the lines from one entity, you get to all associated entities, making it quite easy to reference neighbors in the network.
-Unlike in a network graph, entities are not spread about the whole network, but neatly organized on the outside for reference and added text.
-Entities are easy to group into categories. More or less categories, than the three in the example would be possible.
In the example, the categories are all underlaid by a primary color (yellow, blue, red) and each line has the secondary color (orange, green, purple) of the categories it connects, to make it easier to follow the lines. However, the information density could be increased further by formatting the color and strength / thickness of lines. For example, you could code a probability or strength of association by a line color or by line thickness, like: How probable is it to find vodka at a fine dining restaurant; coded as color of the connecting line on a red-blue gradient like in a heat-map, or by line strength.
My questions are:
-Is this plot a new thing, or is there a plot type, that's basically the same, that I just don't know about.
-Does it make sense to display information in this way, or is there a more approachable or more aesthetically pleasing way of conferring the same information?
-What to call this kind of plot? My initial thought was cobweb plot, but that's already a thing. I then thought dreamcatcher, doily, or weaving-frame diagram, which don't seem to be taken already. The design is visually inspired by a circos plot, but otherwise doesn't share a lot of similarities. I am hence a bit hesitant, to call it "narrative circos plot" or "Network circos plot".
If you want to use this kind of plot, I'd be super happy to see your work! Would be cool, if you'd reference or link this post.
Also shout-out to Biorender, where I threw this plot together. However, I am sure, you can also make a plot like this with less manual moving of lines and icons, if you know your R (or GIMP or Inkscape for that matter).
PS: Please spare me your comments, that it actually is possible to make Vodka from Zucchini ;-D it's about the graph style, not the specifics for this one. The example graph is not super polished, but you get the picture. Also I think it's clear, that I am not researching the culinary scene, but I found that an easy and accessible example.
So far I found out that this would probably be seen as a subtype of Chord diagrams. So an individual name might not be warranted. However, I am very interested in other ways to convey this info, and to optimize the graph.
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