Mapping Affinities

Abstract

This book presents the Affinity Map, a visual method to represent scientific communities through the concept of affinity. Academic affinities are the most fundamental dynamics that drive scientific collaboration; some of them are recorded by academic metrics, and some of them do not leave any trace on information systems. This map reflects the multidimensional and multi-scale nature of affinities through an interactive online system and a large-scale walkable visualization of 250 square meters.