OSNAP! Introducing the open semantic network analysis platform

Graph visualization continues to be a major challenge in the field of information visualization, meanwhile gaining importance due to the power of graph-based formulations across a wide variety of domains from knowledge representation to network flow, bioinformatics, and software optimization. We present the Open Semantic Network Analysis Platform (OSNAP), an open-source visualization framework designed for the flexible composition of 2D and 3D graph layouts. Analysts can filter and map a graph’s attributes and structural properties to a variety of geometric forms including shape, color, and 3D position. Using the Provider Model software engineering pattern, developers can extend the framework with additional mappings and layout algorithms. We demonstrate the framework’s flexibility by applying it to two separate domain ontologies and finally outline a research agenda to improve the value of semantic network visualization for human insight and analysis.