Doing Social Network Research
Network-based Research Design for Social Scientists
- Garry Robins - University of Melbourne, Australia
Are you struggling to design your social network research? Are you looking for a book that covers more than social network analysis?
If so, this is the book for you! With straight-forward guidance on research design and data collection, as well as social network analysis, this book takes you start to finish through the whole process of doing network research. Open the book and you'll find practical, 'how to' advice and worked examples relevant to PhD students and researchers from across the social and behavioural sciences.
The book covers:
- Fundamental network concepts and theories
- Research questions and study design
- Social systems and data structures
- Network observation and measurement
- Methods for data collection
- Ethical issues for social network research
- Network visualization
- Methods for social network analysis
- Drawing conclusions from social network results
This is a perfect guide for all students and researchers looking to do empirical social network research.
Wonderful book. Simple and to the point treatment of all the relevant topics in network research.
This is a most valuable, practical source on how to conceptualise network research
This is an excellent, and much needed book, which extends beyond describing how social network analysis works in theory to explain the pitfalls and complications of using it in practice. This is an important resource for introducing students to the issues they need to consider when undertaking network studies.
Robins addresses reasonably experienced social scientists. For a course on the postgraduate level, it is very good. As an introductory level textbook, it is less useful. I recommend it (and address some chapters) in my masters' level courses.
Good book for social network research
Very useful. Is has applications in several courses.
A helpful guide to develop research skills and ideas
This is a clear and comprehensive introduction to social network analysis which is essential reading for all students and researchers new to the field. The author draws on his extensive experience to introduce and illustrate major concepts and methods, always presented in an accessible and straightforward manner. It is a valuable addition to the field.
Provides a great deal of background information of each measure including strengths and issues that it presents. It also includes a lot of background research and contexts where it has been used previously.
I found this a very useful text in this subject area, some thought provoking information that challenged my thinking and teaching!
Sage College Publishing
