A proposed process flow

This process might seem like a lot of steps, but it is meant merely to provide a framework to move an idea from your imagination to a final published graph. In fact, you might find a better approach or might already be using a different workflow that suits your particular style or specific needs. By all means, if it works for you, keep using it. On the other hand, if you are new to this discipline and need some direction, then follow this process to get started. I have found that especially in cases where there are multiple graphs to be created around a common theme or dataset, this process can make graph creation more efficient to move from start to finish. So let's get started, and we can ultimately get to the best part—actually creating and publishing some graphs.

Identifying an idea or topic

The world around us is literally filled with examples of networks, ranging from our own social media connections through very complex webs of information, such...