X-Rank: Explainable Ranking in Complex Multi-Layered Networks

In this paper we present a web-based prototype for an explainable ranking algorithm in multi-layered networks, incorporating both network topology and knowledge information. While traditional ranking algorithms such as PageRank and HITS are important tools for exploring the underlying structure of networks, they have two fundamental limitations in their efforts to generate high accuracy rankings. First, they are primarily focused on network topology, leaving out additional sources of information (e.g. attributes, knowledge). Secondly, most algorithms do not provide explanations to the end-users on why the algorithm gives the specific ranking results, hindering the usability of the ranking information. We developed Xrank, an explainable ranking tool, to address these drawbacks. Empirical results indicate that our explainable ranking method not only improves ranking accuracy, but facilitates user understanding of the ranking by exploring the top influential elements in multi-layered networks. The web-based prototype (Xrank: http://www.x-rank.net) is currently online - we believe it will assist both researchers and practitioners looking to explore and exploit multi-layered network data.