Social Network Analysis

= Social Network Analysis views social relationships in terms of nodes and ties. Nodes are the individual actors within the networks, and ties are the relationships between the actors.

Definition

From the Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Network_Analysis

"A Social Network is a social structure made of nodes which are generally individuals or organizations. It indicates the ways in which they are connected through various social familiarities ranging from casual acquaintance to close familial bonds. The term was first coined in 1954 by J. A. Barnes (in: Class and Committees in a Norwegian Island Parish, "Human Relations"). The maximum size of social networks tends to be around 150 people and the average size around 124 (Hill and Dunbar, 2002).

Social network analysis ( related to Network Theory) has emerged as a key technique in modern sociology, anthropology, geography, social psychology, information science and organizational studies, as well as a popular topic of speculation and study. Research in a number of academic fields have demonstrated that social networks operate on many levels, from families up to the level of nations, and play a critical role in determining the way problems are solved, organizations are run, and the degree to which individuals succeed in achieving their goals.

Social networking also refers to a category of Internet applications to help connect friends, business partners, or other individuals together using a variety of tools. These applications, known as online social networks are becoming increasingly popular." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Network_Analysis)

Key Books to Read

Copied from a Social Network Analysis Bibliography. By Patti Anklam and Bruce Hoppe, May 2005

Social Network Analysis Texts

Social Network Analysis: A Handbook, John Scott, Sage Publications 2nd Edition 2000.

"provides an accessible introduction to the theory and practice of network analysis in the social sciences. It gives a clear and authoritative guide to the general framework of network analysis, explaining the basic concepts, technical measures and reviewing the available computer programs."

Social Network Analysis: Methods and Applications, Stanley Wasserman and Kathleen Faust, Cambridge University Press, 1994.

" reviews and discusses methods for the analysis of social networks with a focus on applications of these methods to many substantive examples. As the first book to provide a comprehensive coverage of the methodology and applications of the field, this study is both a reference book and a textbook."

Structural Holes: The Social Structure of Competition. Ron Burt, Harvard University Press, 1995.

"If you're looking to get ahead, you should aim to build a circle of work and personal contacts that is broad and diverse…. A good read, if you're into theory, though a bit of a slog at times. The author appears to bear a bit of a grudge against some fellow academics who disagree with his conclusions."

Managing the Flow of Technology: Technology Transfer and the Dissemination of Information of Technological Information with the R&D Organization, Tom Allen, MIT Press 1997.

" summarizes more than a decade of work on communications flow in science and engineering organizations, showing how human and organizational systems could be restructured to bring about improved productivity and better person-to-person contact."

More Information

Bibliography compiled by James Hightower:

• Scott J.P.: Social Network Analysis: A Handbook. SAGE Publications, 2000. Amazon. • Degenne A., Fors\'{e} M.: Introducing Social Networks. SAGE Publications, 1999. Amazon. • Wasserman S., Faust K.: Social Network Analysis: Methods and Applications. CUP, 1994. Amazon. • de Nooy W., Mrvar A., Batagelj V.: Exploratory Social Network Analysis with Pajek, CUP, 2005. Amazon. ESNA page. • Doreian P., Batagelj V., Ferligoj A.: Generalized Blockmodeling, CUP, 2004. Amazon. • Lazega E.: The Collegial Phenomenon: The Social Mechanisms of Cooperation among Peers in a Corporate Law Partnership. OUP, 2001. Amazon. • Carrington P.J., Scott J., Wasserman S. (Eds.): Models and Methods in Social Network Analysis. CUP, 2005. Amazon. • Brandes U., Erlebach T. (Eds.): Network Analysis: Methodological Foundations. LNCS, Springer, Berlin 2005. Amazon. • Barabasi, A., Newman, M.,Watts, D., The Structure and Dynamics of Networks, PUP, 2006 • Grewal, David Singh, Network Power: The Social Dynamics of Globalization, Yale Univ. Press, 2008 • Freeman, Linton C., The Development of Social Network Analysis, Empirical Press, 2004