Taxonomy of Data Visualization Methods - Data Visualization: A Successful Design Process - page 144

Description : At first glance, network diagrams, similar to the one shown in the
following example, can look quite daunting through their visual complexity and
apparent clutter (indeed, often they are described as "hairballs"). Their intention
and value is to facilitate exploration of complex data frameworks based on
the existence or quantifiable strength of relationships, connections, and logical
organization. The typical purpose of these graphs is to enable the viewer to get a
sense of patterns—picking out the elements that are of interest, observing clusters
and gaps, dominant nodes and sparse connections. There are many derivatives of
network diagrams with variations influenced by the data being used as well as the
imagination and technical capabilities of the designer.
Image created by Joe Parry ( http://key-lines.com/ )
Mapping geo-spatial data
This final set of examples explores the different ways of mapping geo-spatial data