Systems and methods for graphically representing research relationships
Systems and methods for graphically representing a research relationship. A user operating a user device provides a search input for a target entity. An input detector receives the search input. A database searcher retrieves publications associated with the target entity from a plurality of databases, at least some of which being jointly contributed to by the target entity and associated entities. A publication compiler determines a number of publications for the target entity and a number of publications for the associated entities. A user interface generator generates a GUI representing a research relationship between the target entity and the associated entities. The target entity and the associated entities are represented as objects having a size corresponding to the number of publications, with the objects connected via connectors which represent joint contribution to one or more of the plurality of publications by the target entity and a respective associated entity.
1. A system for graphically representing a research relationship, the system comprising:
a communications device communicably coupled to a plurality of databases, which store publications, and a user device;
a processing circuit including a processor and memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive, from the user device, a search input for a target entity;
retrieve, via the communications device from the plurality of databases, a plurality of publications which are associated with the target entity, wherein at least some of the plurality of publications were contributed to by associated entities;
determine a number of publications for the target entity;
determine a number of publications for each of the associated entities; and
generate a graphical user interface which represents a research relationship between the target entity and each of the associated entities, wherein generating the graphical user interface comprises:
representing the target entity as a target object and each of the associated entities as associated objects within a mesh, wherein each of the target object and associated objects have a size which corresponds to the number of publications; and
generating one or more connectors which connect the target object for the target entity to the associated objects for the associated entities, wherein the connectors represent joint contribution to one or more of the plurality of publications by the target entity and a respective associated entity, and wherein each associated object is located a distance from the target object in the mesh which corresponds to the number of publications jointly contributed to by the respective associated entity and the target entity.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory is further configured to:
communicate, by the communications device, data corresponding to the graphical user interface to the user device for rendering the graphical user interface to a user.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the target and associated objects are represented as circles having a diameter which increases in proportion to the number of publications.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the target object is connected by a first connector to a first associated object corresponding to a first associated entity and a second connector to a second associated object corresponding to a second associated entity, the target entity, the first associated entity, and the second associated entity having jointly contributed to a publication.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first and second associated objects are connected by a third connector.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first connector, the second connector, and the third connector each have different weights, the first connector having a weight corresponding to a number of publications contributed to by the target entity and the first associated entity, the second connector having a weight corresponding to a number of publications contributed to by the target entity and second associated entity, and the third connector having a weight corresponding to a number of publications contributed to by each of the target entity, the first associated entity, and second associated entity.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the connector has a weight or an opacity which corresponds to the number of publications contributed to by the target entity and a respective associated entity.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the publications comprise at least one of technical papers, patents and patent application publications, Security Exchange Commission (SEC) documents and filings, research agreements or grants, and clinical trial documents.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the target entity comprises one of an enterprise, including a university, a corporation, a non-profit organization, and a research institute, an individual, such as an inventor, a researcher, and a professor, and a research topic.
10. A method for graphically representing a research relationship, the method comprising:
receiving, from a user device, a search input for a target entity;
retrieving, via a communications device from a plurality of databases which store publications associated with various entities, a plurality of publications which are associated with the target entity, wherein at least some of the plurality of publications were contributed to by associated entities;
determining a number of publications for the target entity;
determining a number of publications for each of the associated entities; and
generating a graphical user interface which represents a research relationship between the target entity and each of the associated entities, wherein generating the graphical user interface comprises:
representing the target entity as a target object and each of the associated entities as associated objects within a mesh, wherein each of the target object and associated objects have a size corresponding to the number of publications; and
generating one or more connectors which connect the target object for the target entity to the associated objects for the associated entities, wherein the connectors represent joint contribution to one or more of the plurality of publications by the target entity and a respective associated entity, and wherein each associated object is located a distance from the target object in the mesh which corresponds to the number of publications jointly contributed to by the respective associated entity and the target entity.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
communicating, by the communications device, data corresponding to the graphical user interface to the user device for rendering the graphical user interface to a user.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the target and associated objects are represented as circles having a diameter which increases in proportion to the number of publications.
13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining, based on the retrieved publications, that a publication was jointly contributed to by the target entity, a first associated entity, and a second associated entity, and
wherein the target object is connected by a first connector to a first associated object corresponding to the first associated entity and a second connector to a second associated object corresponding to the second associated entity, the target entity, the first associated entity, and the second associated entity having jointly contributed to a publication.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first and second associated objects are connected by a third connector.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first connector, the second connector, and the third connector each have different weights, the first connector having a weight corresponding to a number of publications contributed to by the target entity and the first associated entity, the second connector having a weight corresponding to a number of publications contributed to by the target entity and second associated entity, and the third connector having a weight corresponding to a number of publications contributed to by each of the target entity, the first associated entity, and second associated entity.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the connector has a weight or an opacity which corresponds to the number of publications contributed to by the target entity and a respective associated entity.
17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the publications comprise at least one of technical papers, patents and patent application publications, Security Exchange Commission (SEC) documents and filings, research agreements or grants, or clinical trial documents.
18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the target entity comprises one of an enterprise, including a university, a corporation, a non-profit organization, and a research institute, an individual, such as an inventor, a researcher, and a professor, and a research topic.
19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distance between the target object and a respective associated object increases as the number of publications jointly contributed to by the respective associated entity and the target entity decreases.
20. The method of claim 10 , wherein the distance between the target object and a respective associated object increases as the number of publications jointly contributed to by the respective associated entity and the target entity decreases.