Visual Network Analysis in Immersive Environments: A Survey

TL;DR

This survey reviews 138 studies on visual network analysis in immersive environments, analyzing design aspects, empirical evaluations, and future research directions to advance understanding and application of immersive analytics.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive structured overview of the design space, empirical evaluations, and research gaps in immersive visual network analysis, unifying fragmented work.

Findings

Identified key design aspects and their coverage in existing applications.

Reviewed empirical user evaluations providing evidence for design decisions.

Highlighted research gaps and proposed future directions for immersive analytics.

Abstract

The increasing complexity and volume of network data demand effective analysis approaches, with visual exploration proving particularly beneficial. Immersive technologies, such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and large display walls, have enabled the emerging field of immersive analytics, offering new opportunities to enhance user engagement, spatial awareness, and problem-solving. A growing body of work has explored immersive environments for network visualisation, ranging from design studies to fully integrated applications across various domains. Despite these advancements, the field remains fragmented, lacking a clear description of the design space and a structured overview of the aspects that have already been empirically evaluated. To address this gap, we present a survey of visual network analysis in immersive environments, covering 138 publications retrieved through a structured pipeline. We systematically analyse the key aspects that define the design space, investigate their coverage in prior applications (n=87), and review user evaluations (n=59) that provide empirical evidence for essential design-related questions. By synthesising experimental findings and evaluating existing applications, we identify key achievements, highlight research gaps, and offer guidance for the design of future approaches. Additionally, we provide an online resource to explore our results interactively, which will be updated as new developments emerge.