PRS: Practicing Research Skills

Computational Approaches

in Political and Social

Sciences

Week 1C: Introduction to Network Analysis. Fri 7 June

Diliara Valeeva and Eelke Heemskerk

Plan for Week 1

Mon 3 June: Introduction to the topic

     => Preliminary decision about the group project

Wed 5 June: Introduction to data

     => Final decision about the group project

Fri 7 June: Introduction to methods

     => Writing a research proposal

Plan for today

1. Research proposal

2. Network analysis

1. Research Proposal

Past & Present

Success Offline

Neighbors

Key players

Success Online

Projects

Research Proposal

0. Title

1. Relevant literature

2. Research question

3. Hypotheses

4. Data

5. Methods

6. Labor division

7. Bibliography

* max 1500 words

Deadline: Tuesday 11 June, 17.00

1. Relevant literature

1. Short intro about CSS:

• what is CSS?

2. The literature on your specific topic:

• what has been done?
• what is missing in the literature?
• what needs to be studied?

* see the list of the recommended literature for each group in Canvas

Reading list for each group

Find on Canvas:

Modules => Week 1 => Literature

1) About CSS: "Reading list for week 1"

2) For each group: "Recommended literature for each group"

2. Research Question

1. Stating the question

• subquestions, if you have more

2. Relevance

• why is it important to answer this question?
• what shall we learn new about CSS? 

3. Hypotheses

1. Your main hypothesis

• or several, if you have more

2. What would it mean if the hypothesis is confirmed/rejected?

4. Data

1. Do you already have an idea about your dataset(s)?

• What are your observations?
• How many cases?
• How would you clean your data?
• What are the potential strengths and weaknesses of this dataset?

5. Methods

1. Do you already have an idea about the method(s)?

• How would you perform your analysis?
• What are the potential strengths and weaknesses of this method?

6. Labor division

1. How are you planning to work together?

• What are your qualities and strengths?
• Do you see any challenges during your group work?

6. Bibliography

1. Cite the literature that you used for writing this proposal:

• papers
• websites
• other sources

It's just a research proposal

2. Network Analysis

• A set of nodes (e.g., people or organisations)

• A set of connections between nodes (e.g., friends, acquaintances, relatives)

Racial segregation in school

image source: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/networks/

Physicist collaborations

image source: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/networks/

Internet

image source: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/networks/

Global capitalism

Corpnet image, Heemskerk & Takes

Main assumptions

• “(…) is based on an assumption of the importance of relationships among interacting units“ (Wasserman/Faust 2008:4)

• “(…) encompasses theories, models, and applications that are expressed in terms of relational concepts or processes” (Wasserman/Faust 2008:4)

• “(…) the unit of analysis in network analysis is not the individual, but an entity consisting of a collection of individuals and the linkages among them” (Wasserman/Faust 2008:5)

Unit of analysis

1. Dyads (two actors and their ties)

2. Triads (three actors and their ties)
3. Larger systems (subgroups of individuals, or entire networks)

NODES

Dates

• No class Monday 10 June
• Next class: Wednesday 12 June
• The final presentations: July 3 Wednesday