A workbench to construct and re-use network analysis workflows

Abstract

In this paper we introduce the concept of a web-based analytics workbench to support researchers of social networks in their analytic processes. Making explicit these processes allows for sound design, re-use, and automated execution using an authoring system for visual representations of these analytic workflows. The workbench is implemented according to a flexible technical framework in which external and newly-defined analytic components can be integrated and used in conjunction with other analytic components. As a showcase we discuss a complex analytic process.