WikiNodes is an app for the
Apple iPad built by
IDEA.org. WikiNodes was the first tablet app for browsing
Wikipedia using a
radial tree
A radial tree, or radial map, is a method of displaying a tree structure (e.g., a tree data structure) in a way that expands outwards, radially. It is one of many ways to visually display a tree, with examples extending back to the early 20th cen ...
approach to visualize how articles and subsections of articles are interrelated. The app displays related items (articles or sections of an article), which spread on the screen, as a spiderweb of icons.
Operation
The app uses the
SpicyNodes
SpicyNodes was a system for displaying hierarchical data, in which a focus node displays detailed information, and the surrounding nodes represent related information ( Focus + Context), with a layout based on radial maps. It has web (Flash) and m ...
visualization technique which was awarded a "best for teaching and learning" award in 2011 from
American Association of School Librarians (AASL), and voted #edchat's 35 Best Web 2.0 Classroom Tools in 2010.
The user interface is based on two display modes:
* Page view – displays Wikipedia articles in long form, similar to how they appear on the main Wikipedia web site.
* Node view – divides Wikipedia articles into sections, and links articles to related articles, similar to
mind mapping. The user can drag nodes, taps any node to display it in detail, with a panel to scroll to read the contents of the section. This provides a visual way to see the relationships between articles.
As of June 2011, the app supports the 3
top Wikipedia languages(by number of articles).
Reception
The app was highlighted as a "Staff pick" by Apple's U.S.
App Store, Week of May 28, 2011; as "New and Noteworthy" by Apple's U.S. App Store, Week of May 5, 2011; and at other times by Apple's app stores for non-US countries. It has been favorably covered by several bloggers, including those in the references below.
[WikiNodes for iPad – Making Wikipedia Fun to Explore
by Patrick Jordan on May 11, 2011 / http://ipadinsight.com/ipad-app-reviews/wikinodes-for-ipad-making-wikipedia-fun-to-explore/]
See also
*
List of Wikipedia mobile applications
A number of organizations within the Wikimedia movement including the Wikimedia Foundation publish official mobile apps for mobile access to Wikipedia. All are available via the appropriate app store (e.g. Google Play, App Store, Microsoft Sto ...
– Other iOS mobile apps providing access to Wikipedia
*
Radial tree
A radial tree, or radial map, is a method of displaying a tree structure (e.g., a tree data structure) in a way that expands outwards, radially. It is one of many ways to visually display a tree, with examples extending back to the early 20th cen ...
– the general type of layout algorithm
*
SpicyNodes
SpicyNodes was a system for displaying hierarchical data, in which a focus node displays detailed information, and the surrounding nodes represent related information ( Focus + Context), with a layout based on radial maps. It has web (Flash) and m ...
– Information visualization technique
References
External links
Direct link to listing in Apple app store
{{Wikipedia, state=collapsed
Graph drawing software
IOS software
Wikipedia
Computer-related introductions in 2010