Network Analysis

General characterization

Prerequisites

N/A

Bibliography

Barabási, A. (2016). Network Science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Borgatti, S., Everett, M., & Johnson, J. (2013). Analysing Social Networks. London: Sage.
Borgatti, S. P., Mehra, A., Brass, D. J., & Labianca, G. (2009). Network analysis in the social sciences. Science, 323(5916), 892-895.
Brughmans, T., Collar, A., & Coward, F. (2016). The Connected Past: Challenges to Network Studies in Archaeology and History. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Cherven, K. (2015). Mastering Gephi Network Visualization. Birmingham-Mumbai: Packt Publishing.
Crossley, N., Bellotti, E., Edwards, G., Everett, M. G., Koskinen, J., & Tranmer, M. (2015). Social Network Analysis for Ego-Nets. London: Sage.
Graham, S., Milligan, I., & Weingart, S. (2015). Exploring Big Historical Data: The Historian's Macroscope. London: Imperial College Press.
Kadushin, C. (2012). Understanding Social Networks. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Knoke, D., & Yang, S. (2008). Social Network Analysis. London: Sage.
Lemercier, C. (2005). Analyse de réseaux et histoire. Revue d'histoire moderne & contemporaine, vol. 52, nº 2, 2005, pp. 88-112.
Lemercier, C. (2015). Formal network methods in history: why and how?. Social Networks, Political Institutions, and Rural Societies. Brepols, pp. 281-310.
Padgett, J. F., & Ansell, C. K. (1993). Robust Action and the Rise of the Medici, 1400-1434. American Journal of Sociology, 1259-1319.
Prell, C. (2012). Social Network Analysis: history, theory and methodology. Los Angeles: Sage.
Scott, J., & Carrington, P. (2010). The Sage Handbook of Social Network Analysis. London: Sage.

Teaching method

The contents presented imply, simultaneously, a theoretical (points 1 and 2 of the programmatic contents) and practical (paragraphs 3, 4 and 5) approach. Thus, in a first section, the lecturer will make a theoretical exposition of the contents, proposing that the students participate through a critical analysis of the bibliography or the discussed case studies. In a second section, the practical component will be developed by applying the contents acquired according to the exercises requested by the lecturer. 

Evaluation method

The evaluation is continuous, corresponding to the active participation in the various sessions (20%), the development of a theoretical initial work (40%) and a practical work by the use of a social network analysis tool (40%). The latter two will seek to meet concrete objects of study and the interest of the students, enhancing the practical use of the works developed in their future master's thesis.

Subject matter

1. Social Network analysis
1.1. Concept and historical evolution.
1.2. Guiding principles and methodologies.
2. The analysis of networks applied to Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts: methodologies and research practices.
3. Designing a project for network analysis.
3.1. Research Design.
3.2. Structuring the data.
3.3. Introduction to network visualization and analysis tools.
3.3.1. Critical evaluation of available tools.
3.3.2. Introduction to Gephi.
3.3.3. Introduction to UCINET.
4. Building egonets.
5. Critical analysis of results and methodologies adopted.

Programs

Programs where the course is taught: