Social Networks - Lecture 16

What is research design ?

plan for how to study networks, including what to study, how to study it, and how to collect and analyze the data.

What are the 5 steps of the research process?

1. Conceptual foundation & study design

2. Collecting data

3. Cleaning data

4. Analyzing data

5. Writing & sharing findings

What decisions are made during the study design step?

• Choose your topic

• Define your nodes and ties

• Set sample boundaries

• Ensure ethical practices

• Decide how to analyze the data

What is a node?

An individual unit, like a person, organization, or group.

What is a tie (or edge)?

A connection between nodes , like friendship, collaboration, or communication.

What are sample boundaries?

The limits of who or what you include in the network (e.g., just 10th grade students, or only one organization).

What are the two main types of data collection?

primary and secondary data

What are examples of primary data collection?

Surveys asking about friendships or collaborations, Observations (watching who talks to who)

What are examples of secondary data collection?

Social media networks, national surveys. IMDb actor networks, congressional co-sponsorships

What two types of data are needed for social network analysis?

relational daata - who is connected to who

attribute data - characteristics of each person, like age or gender