Social Network Analysis

Social Computing

Foothill College

Topic Overview

• What are social networks?• What is social network analysis?• Why social network analysis?• Tools for visualizing social networks

– Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter– FOAF and XFN

• Navigating your network

Graph Theory• Nodes are actors• Edges are relationships

– Weighted strengths• Network topology

– Star, ring, tree, mesh, fully connected

• Linked networks

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What is a Network?

Network: A set of nodes, points, or locations connected by means of data, voice, and video communications for the purpose of exchange or interaction.

Social Network AnalysisKnowledge is located in social networks, therefore it is important to better understand them. Social networks are nodes of individuals, groups, organizations or related systems which are connected by types of interdependency. Social Network Analysis (SNA) is an instrument to map these connections and visualize formal and informal connections and knowledge flows between people, groups and organizations.

http://itcilo.wordpress.com/2011/03/07/social-network-analysis/

Twitter Social Network SNA

http://ebiquity.umbc.edu/blogger/2007/04/19/twitter-social-network-analysis/

Social Network Analysis, A Brief Introduction (OrgNET)

Social network analysis [SNA] is the mapping and measuring of relationships and flows between people, groups, organizations, computers, URLs, and other connected information/knowledge entities. The nodes in the network are the people and groups while the links show relationships or flows between the nodes. SNA provides both a visual and a mathematical analysis of human relationships. Management consultants use this methodology with their business clients and call it Organizational Network Analysis [ONA].

SNA Terminology

• Degree Centrality• Betweenness Centrality• Closeness Centrality• Network Centralization• Network Reach• Boundary Spanners• Peripheral Players

http://www.orgnet.com/sna.html

The Strength of Weak Ties

http://bokardo.com/archives/weak-ties-and-diversity-in-social-networks/

Mathematical Analysis of SNA

http://toreopsahl.com/blog/

SNA and Knowledge Management (KM)

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Technology Organization

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Technology creates links between people, knowledge, and content repositories

SNA Learning Process

http://semanticstudios.com/publications/semantics/000006.php

The Friend of a Friend (FOAF) Project

Semantic FOAF

XFN - XHTML Friends Network

XFN™ (XHTML Friends Network) is a simple way to represent human relationships using hyperlinks. In recent years, blogs and blogrolls have become the fastest growing area of the Web. XFN enables w‘rel' attribute to their <a href> tags, e.g.: <a href="http://jeff.example.org" rel="friend met">... authors to indicate their relationship(s) to the people in their blogrolls simply by adding a

To find out how to write and use XFN, or to write a program to generate or spider it, read the following sections:Introduction and ExamplesIntroduction to XFN, examples, styling suggestions, and future potential.Getting StartedJoin the XHTML Friends Network in just four easy steps!ProfileVersion 1.1 of the XFN meta data profile: the list of the values used in XFN with their significance.

See the XMDP home page for more information on XHTML Meta Data Profiles.BackgroundThe thinking that went into the design of XFN, why particular values were chosen, and why other

values were left out.FAQFrequently asked questions about XFN.XFN ToolsA collection of tools, templates, editors, communities, and other resources that let you edit XFN

information. Includes the XFN Creator, among many others.XFN and ...How to use XFN with numerous social network services and other technologies.What's out there?Pointers to pages and sites which use XFN, tools, ...How can I help?If you would like to support XFN...

Weaving the Social Web

The Web is more a social creation than a technical one. I designed it for a social effect — to help people work together — and not as a technical toy. The ultimate goal of the Web is to support and improve our weblike existence in the world. We clump into families, associations, and companies. We develop trust across the miles and distrust around the corner.

—Tim Berners-Lee, Weaving The Web

SNA in Review

• Social Network Analysis (SNA)• Networks are graphs, nodes and edges

– Actors (nodes) and interactions (edges)– Relationships have direction and weights

• Networks have topologies– Organizational and extended

• Tools for visualizing and navigating networks– Leverage your local and extended networks

References

• “How to do Social Network Analysis?” -http://www.orgnet.com/sna.html

• Cross, R., Parker, A. and Borgatti, S. A bird's eye view: Using Social Network Analysis to Improve Knowledge Creation and Sharing. IBM Institute for Business Value Publication.

• J.C.Thomas, W.A Kellogg, T. Erickson, “The Knowledge Management Puzzle: Human and social factors in Knowledge Management”. IBM Systems Journal. Volume 40. Number 4.2001

• Wellman, B. (1996) For a Social Network Analysis of Computer Networks: A Sociological Perspective on Collaborative work and Virtual Community. Proceedings of SIGCPR/SIGMIS. ACM Press.