Ranking themes on co-word networks: Exploring the relationships among different metrics

•Relationships among frequency-based and network-based metrics are examined on both empirical and simulated co-word networks.•All seven metrics are strongly correlated, and according to the strength of correlations, the metrics can be categorized into three groups.•Different disciplines do not influence the relationships among the metrics.•Network topology properties influence the relationships among the metrics.•A simulation method for co-word networks is proposed.