Preface

Summary

In the social sciences, social network analysis has become a powerful methodological tool alongside statistics. Network concepts have been defined, tested, and applied in research traditions throughout the social sciences, ranging from anthropology and sociology to business administration and history.

This book is the first textbook on social network analysis integrating theory, applications, and professional software for performing network analysis. It introduces structural concepts and their applications in social research with exercises to improve skills, questions to test the understanding, and case studies to practice network analysis. In the end, the reader has the knowledge, skills, and tools to apply social network analysis.

We stress learning by doing: readers acquire a feel for network concepts by applying network analysis. To this end, we make ample use of professional computer software for network analysis and visualization: Pajek. This software, operating under Windows 95 and later, and all example data sets are provided on a Web site (http://vlado.fmf.uni-lj.si/pub/networks/book/) dedicated to this book. All the commands that are needed to produce the graphical and numerical results presented in this book are extensively discussed and illustrated. Step by step, the reader can perform the analyses presented in the book.

Note, however, that the graphical display on a computer screen will never exactly match the printed figures in this book. After all, a book is not a computer screen. Furthermore, newer versions of the software will appear, with features that may differ from the descriptions presented in this book.