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Network Analysis

This guide defines network analysis and discusses several network analysis tools and methods

Where to Start

The following resources provide an excellent starting point for understanding what network analysis is, the terminology, basic concepts, various tools you can use to perform network analysis, and how this methodology is used in scholarship.

Terminology

Node: Represents an entity (e.g., person)

Edge: Represents a relationship between two nodes. Can have different weights to represent the strength of the relationship

Path/Connector: Indirect relationships between nodes through another node

Cluster: A group of nodes that has interrelationships

Degree: Number of connections (edges) for a node. Nodes with more degrees have more direct relationships

Closeness: How close or far a node is to all other nodes. Nodes with better closeness have more indirect relationships

Betweenness: How often a node is on the shortest path. Nodes with more betweenness connect clusters

Centrality: A measure of how many other nodes are related

Base image from Wikimedia Commons. Annotations by Jajwalya Karajgikar.