Social network analysis: A methodological introduction

Social network analysis is a large and growing body of research on the measurement and analysis of relational structure. Here, we review the fundamental concepts of network analysis, as well as a range of methods currently used in the field. Issues pertaining to data collection, analysis of single networks, network comparison, and analysis of individual-level covariates are discussed, and a number of suggestions are made for avoiding common pitfalls in the application of network methods to substantive questions. those seeking to add a structural component to their own work. Although many classical methods are discussed, more emphasis is placed on recent, statistical approaches to network analysis, as these are somewhat less well covered by existing reviews. Finally, an effort has been made throughout to highlight common pitfalls which can await the unwary researcher, and to suggest how these may be avoided. The result, it is hoped, is a basic reference that offers a rigorous treatment of essential concepts and methods, without assuming prior background in this area. The overall structure of this paper is as follows. After a brief comment on some things which are not discussed here (the field being too large to admit treatment in a single paper), an overview of core concepts and notation is pre- sented. Following this is a discussion of network data, including basic issues involving representation, boundary definition, sampling schemes, instruments, and visualiza- tion. I then proceed to an overview of common approaches to the measurement and modelling of structural properties within single networks, followed by sections on methods for network comparison and modelling of individual attributes. Finally, I conclude with a discussion of some additional issues which affect the use of network analysis in practical settings. Topics not discussed