Social network analysis encompasses a variety of methods to study the social relations and social interactions between individual units in a group. This chapter offers an overview of the types of research questions that can be answered with social network analysis and discusses appropriate statistical methods and network sampling approaches to answer such questions. Six basic types of models are identified, based on two criteria: (1) whether the researchers are interested in the antecedents of networks and/or their consequences and (2) the appropriate level of analysis, in particular the dyadic, nodal, or group level. Extensions and variations of these six basic models are discussed, for example models where networks take on the role of mediator or moderator, as well as models that incorporate multiple levels of analysis and models that integrate network antecedents and network consequences simultaneously.
