Node Size
The size of each dot, or node, represents how many times that text has been cited by other scholarly works. The texts in the network ranged greatly in this area, some cited over a hundred times, while many more were recorded as having been cited only once. The five central Hitchcock texts ranged from around 30-80 citations.
Node Color
Node color indicates the subject or topic of each piece of writing. The categories are organized by degree of similarity and relevance to the subjects of Hitchcock’s own writing.
First tier topics
- Red: geology, ichnology, paleontology
- Blue: religion, religious studies, religion-science connection or debate
Second tier topics
- Burnt Orange: geosciences, ecology, chemistry, biology, evolutionary biology
- Blue Grey: history of science, education, poetry
Third tier topics
- Yellow: arachnology, archaeology, agricultural science
- Light Green: American studies, literary criticism, American literature, art history
Edge Size
The thickness of the lines between nodes (“edges”) represents how recently the citing text was published.
- Thickest: published between 2000-2015
- Moderate thickness: 1950-1999
- Thinnest: 1864-1949