Social network analysis is a
practical method that can reliably monitor the interactions in an online PBL environment
. Using SNA can reveal important information about the course, such as the general activity and the active groups.
What can you use network analysis for?
Network analysis provides
the capacity to estimate complex patterns of relationships and the network structure
can be analysed to reveal core features of the network.
Social network analysis is also used in
intelligence, counter-intelligence and law enforcement activities
. This technique allows the analysts to map covert organizations such as an espionage ring, an organized crime family or a street gang.
Social network analysis (SNA), also known as network science, is a field of data analytics that uses
networks and graph theory to understand social structures
. SNA techniques can also be applied to networks outside of the societal realm.
The general process of the social network analysis is depicted in Fig. 1. It is composed of six generic stages that form a cycle: (i) problem definition, (ii) data gathering and preparation, (iii)
social network modeling
, (iv) knowledge extraction, (v) evaluation, as well as (vi) interpretation and deployment.
Social network analysis, a research method developed primarily in sociology and communication science,
focuses on patterns of relations among people and among groups such as organizations and states
. As the Web connects people and organizations, it can host social networks.
SNA
may help visualize the interactions among participants and may reveal who are the important actors in
the interactions and who are the isolated actors, what are the groups that shows dense interactions or sparse interactions that may need support.
What are the two methods of network analysis?
Two different techniques for network analysis were developed independently in the late 1950’s – these were:
PERT (for Program Evaluation and Review Technique); and
.
CPM (for Critical Path Management)
.
What are the basic concepts of network analysis?
Network analysis (NA) is a set of integrated techniques to depict relations among actors and to analyze the social structures that emerge from the recurrence of these relations. The basic assumption is
that better explanations of social phenomena are yielded by analysis of the relations among entities
.
Who uses network analysis?
Network analysis is based on graph theory and is widely used in several scientific areas as for example
physics, computer science, linguistics and social sciences
. In biology, network analysis was applied for example to food webs, social organization and, more recently, to molecular networks (reviewed in [25]).
A social network graph is a graph where the nodes represent
people and the lines between
nodes, called edges, represent social connections between them, such as friendship or working together on a project. These graphs can be either undirected or directed.
The most common data collection methods used in SNA are
surveys and interviews
. A survey should include questions regarding the background of the respondent and a way for them to provide information on connections .
How do you analyze network data?
- Tip 1: Formulate questions first; use networks later.
- Tip 2: Categorize your network data correctly.
- Tip 3: Use specific network analysis software.
- Tip 4: Be aware that network visualization can be useful but possibly misleading.
Social networks are important because they
allow people to develop relationships with others with whom they might not otherwise be able to connect
. It also helps boost business productivity when used for public relations, marketing, and advertising purposes.
SNA
measures and maps the flow of relationships and relationship changes between knowledge-possessing entities
. Simple and complex entities include websites, computers, animals, humans, groups, organizations and nations. The SNA structure is made up of node entities, such as humans, and ties, such as relationships.
Why is network analysis important?
Answer –
a lack of connecting all the information properly
! Network analysis enables discovery of inter-relations between genes, pathways, proteins, indications, interventions, etc, to help analyze the information in a defined way. Network analysis can also be used for the purpose of drug repurposing.
