A Sankey diagram, also known as a flowchart or as a network diagram, is a visual representation of networks and can be an excellent tool to illustrate the relationships between different information fields. Sankey charts can be used in a variety of ways, whether you want to understand complex systems or you’re interested in the flows of information in a field. The following article will provide you with a brief overview of how to create and use Sankey diagrams.

Types of Sankey diagrams
A Sankey chart consists of three axes. The horizontal axis represents a source, while the vertical axis represents a destination. The lines that connect two nodes indicate the direction and speed of the flow. Sankey charts can be divided into two types: simple and complex.

Simple Sankey diagrams are used to show the relationships between two variables. For example, a simple source-to-sink diagram would show the data flow from a source to a sink, with the source and sink nodes at the top and bottom of the chart, respectively.

Complex Sankey diagrams, on the other hand, are used to show the relationships between three or more variables. These diagrams can be useful in analyzing the relationships between different aspects of a single system or across different systems. For example, a complex diagram could examine the relationships between different types of information in a research database.

Applications of Sankey diagrams
Sankey diagrams can be used in a variety of applications, from analyzing the flow of information in a complex system to understanding the relationships between different fields of study. Here are some of the main applications of Sankey diagrams:

• Analyzing complex systems: Sankey diagrams can be used to help engineers and scientists understand the relationships between different components of a complex system, such as a city or a supply chain.

• Examining the flow of information: Sankey diagrams can be used to visualize the way information flows between different fields or organizations. For example, a researcher could use a Sankey chart to analyze the flow of scientific research data.

• Understanding complex systems in natural processes: Sankey diagrams can also be used to study the flow of data in natural processes, such as the flow of water in a river or the flow of nutrients in an ecosystem.

Creating a Sankey diagram
A Sankey diagram is relatively easy to create, once you understand the three axes and how to draw the arrows correctly. Here is an example of how to create a simple Sankey diagram.

1. Draw the vertical axis. The y-axis, or vertical axis, represents the destination. Sketch the y-axis by connecting two points, or sources, with two arrows.

2. Draw the horizontal axis. The x-axis, or horizontal axis, represents the source. Sketch the x-axis by connecting two points, or destinations, with two arrows.

3. Draw the lines. The lines represent the flow. For a single source-to-sink diagram, the flow from the source to the sink is drawn from left to right, while for a source-to-sink diagram, the flow from the source to the sink is drawn from right to left.

4. Draw the arrows. The arrows represent the direction of the flow. Arrows should be drawn from the source to the destination, or from the destination to the source.

Sankey diagrams are not limited to simple diagrams that only show the flow between two points. Sankey diagrams can be used to explore the relationships between multiple variables by using multiple source-to-sink diagrams. Overall, Sankey diagrams can be a valuable tool for understanding the complex relationships between different variables or fields.

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