Intro to Social Network AnalysisSession

Social Network Analysis#cetis12

23 February 2012

What is SNA?

“An adaptation for various mathematical ideas and techniques which allow us to:

handle, store and map relational data define and measure relational (network) properties identify distinctive configurations within various

maps/visualisations”

Nick Crossley, Cathy Marsh Centre,for Census and Survey Research, Uni of Manchester (http://www.ccsr.ac.uk/courses/socialnetwork/ )

SNA Principles 3 levels: the node the whole sub set of nodes within the whole start to see

connections - and measures of centrality etc

What is SNA cont.

intro Prof Mike Everett, Uni of Manchester http://www.methods.manchester.ac.uk/methods/sna/ Video: Noshir Contractor http://nosh.northwestern.edu/

Pretty pictures

Betweenness centrality

Creating and Understanding the pictures

Academic way Just in time, just enough?

"It feels interesting but is it useful” More than liking pretty pictures Makes explicit existing connections Makes explicit gaps in communities/connections Improving our understanding of our network

connections But . . .

Issues

Skills/literacy issues around models and tools Context and ambiguity Objective and subjective assumptions Conversation starters Data sources, quality issues Ethics Is “just enough” good enough?

And now the interesting stuff . . .