Doing Social Network Research: Network-based Research Design for Social Scientists

This chapter introduces the field of historical network research. Many historical outcomes of interest to social scientists are greatly affected by network processes. These include revolutions, segregation, increasing inequality, party polarization, market development, state centralization, and the rise and fall of institutions. The chapter considers the current state of historical network research across these and other outcomes by focusing on six different network phenomena: cross-cutting ties, informal social ties, associational and organizational networks, narrative networks, cohesion, and brokerage and centrality. Extant research has presented some contradictory findings about the relationoship of these findings to major social outomes, suggesting further specification is necessary. The goal of this chapter is to provide a synthesis that illuminates a pathway to maximize future contributions.

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Networks

The Oxford Handbook of Social Networks ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190251765.013.34 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 534-562

Author(s):

Matthew O. Jackson ◽

Brian W. Rogers ◽

Yves Zenou

Keyword(s):

Social Networks ◽

Social Network ◽

Statistical Analysis ◽

Labor Markets ◽

Network Formation ◽

Labor Market Outcomes ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Social Scientists ◽

Market Outcomes

What is the role of social networks in driving persistent differences between races and genders in education and labor market outcomes? What is the role of homophily in such differences? Why is such homophily seen even if it ends up with negative consequences in terms of labor markets? This chapter discusses social network analysis from the perspective of economics. The chapter is organized around the theme of externalities: the effects that one’s behavior has on others’ welfare. Externalities underlie the interdependencies that make networks interesting to social scientists. This chapter discusses network formation, as well as interactions between people’s behaviors within a given network, and the implications in a variety of settings. Finally, the chapter highlights some empirical challenges inherent in the statistical analysis of network-based data.

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MapTap and Cornelia Slow Digital Art History and Formal Art Historical Social Network Research

Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte ◽

10.1515/zkg-2016-0025 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 79 (3) ◽

pp. 315-330 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Koenraad Brosens ◽

Klara Alen ◽

Astrid Slegten ◽

Fred Truyen

Keyword(s):

Social Networks ◽

Social Network ◽

Early Modern ◽

Data Model ◽

Art History ◽

Digital Art ◽

Unique Data ◽

Network Research ◽

Custom Made

Abstract The essay introduces MapTap, a research project that zooms in on the ever-changing social networks underpinning Flemish tapestry (1620 – 1720). MapTap develops the young and still slightly amorphous field of Formal Art Historical Social Network Research (FAHSNR) and is fueled by Cornelia, a custom-made database. Cornelia’s unique data model allows researchers to organize attribution and relational data from a wide array of sources in such a way that the complex multiplex and multimode networks emerging from the data can be transformed into partial unimode networks that enable proper FAHSNR. A case study revealing the key roles played by women in the tapestry landscape shows how this kind of slow digital art history can further our understanding of early modern creative communities and industries.

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Social Network Research contribution to evaluating process in a feasibility study of a peer-led and school-based sexual health intervention

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-90852-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Chiara Broccatelli ◽

Peng Wang ◽

Lisa McDaid ◽

Mark McCann ◽

Sharon Anne Simpson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Network ◽

Sexual Health ◽

Health Knowledge ◽

Complex Interventions ◽

Individual Characteristics ◽

Feasibility Trial ◽

Friendship Networks ◽

Intervention Delivery ◽

School Based ◽

Network Research

AbstractThere is growing interest in social network-based programmes to improve health, but rigorous methods using Social Network research to evaluate the process of these interventions is less well developed. Using data from the “STis And Sexual Health” (STASH) feasibility trial of a school-based, peer-led intervention on sexual health prevention, we illustrate how network data analysis results can address key components of process evaluations for complex interventions—implementation, mechanisms of impacts, and context. STASH trained students as Peer Supporters (PS) to diffuse sexual health messages though face-to-face interactions and online Facebook (FB) groups. We applied a Multilevel Exponential Random Graph modelling approach to analyse the interdependence between offline friendship relationships and online FB ties and how these different relationships align. Our results suggest that the creation of online FB communities mirrored offline adolescent groups, demonstrating fidelity of intervention delivery. Data on informal friendship networks related to student’s individual characteristics (i.e., demographics, sexual health knowledge and adherence to norms, which were included for STASH), contributed to an understanding of the social relational ‘building’ mechanisms that sustain tie-formation. This knowledge could assist the selection of opinion leaders, improving identification of influential peers situated in optimal network positions. This work provides a novel contribution to understanding how to integrate network research with the process evaluation of a network intervention.

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Visualization of clinical teaching citations using social network analysis

BMC Medical Education ◽

10.1186/s12909-021-02643-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hakimeh Hazrati ◽

Shoaleh Bigdeli ◽

Seyed Kamran Soltani Arabshahi ◽

Vahideh Zarea Gavgani ◽

Nafiseh Vahed

Keyword(s):

Social Network ◽

Social Network Analysis ◽

Network Analysis ◽

Research Collaboration ◽

Clinical Teaching ◽

Clustering Coefficient ◽

Knowledge Network ◽

Research Network ◽

Centrality Measures ◽

The Usa

Abstract Background Analyzing the previous research literature in the field of clinical teaching has potential to show the trend and future direction of this field. This study aimed to visualize the co-authorship networks and scientific map of research outputs of clinical teaching and medical education by Social Network Analysis (SNA). Methods We Identified 1229 publications on clinical teaching through a systematic search strategy in the Scopus (Elsevier), Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics) and Medline (NCBI/NLM) through PubMed from the year 1980 to 2018.The Ravar PreMap, Netdraw, UCINet and VOSviewer software were used for data visualization and analysis. Results Based on the findings of study the network of clinical teaching was weak in term of cohesion and the density in the co-authorship networks of authors (clustering coefficient (CC): 0.749, density: 0.0238) and collaboration of countries (CC: 0.655, density: 0.176). In regard to centrality measures; the most influential authors in the co-authorship network was Rosenbaum ME, from the USA (0.048). More, the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands have central role in collaboration countries network and has the vertex co-authorship with other that participated in publishing articles in clinical teaching. Analysis of background and affiliation of authors showed that co-authorship between clinical researchers in medicine filed is weak. Nineteen subject clusters were identified in the clinical teaching research network, seven of which were related to the expected competencies of clinical teaching and three related to clinical teaching skills. Conclusions In order to improve the cohesion of the authorship network of clinical teaching, it is essential to improve research collaboration and co-authorship between new researchers and those who have better closeness or geodisk path with others, especially those with the clinical background. To reach to a dense and powerful topology in the knowledge network of this field encouraging policies to be made for international and national collaboration between clinicians and clinical teaching specialists. In addition, humanitarian and clinical reasoning need to be considered in clinical teaching as of new direction in the field from thematic aspects.

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