Scientific Coordination
Marlene Mauk
Tel: +49 221 47694-579
Tel: +49 221 47694-579
Administrative Coordination
Noemi Hartung
Tel: +49 621 1246-211
Tel: +49 621 1246-211
Please wait...
Advanced Social Network Analysis
About
Location:
Mannheim, B6 4-5
Mannheim, B6 4-5
Course duration:
9:00-16:00 CEST
General Topics:
Course Level:
Format:
Software used:
Duration:
Language:
Fees:
Students: 550 €
Academics: 825 €
Commercial: 1650 €
Keywords
Additional links
Lecturer(s): Michal Bojanowski
Course description
Recent decades have witnessed substantial progress in the methods of analysis and statistical modeling of social networks. This includes models for the static network structure as well as models for network and behavioral change. This course will introduce participants to these modern, advanced methods in a hands-on manner. The methods will be discussed using real research cases and data. While (sociological/psychological/economic) theories will be touched upon, the focus will be on modeling assumptions, proper interpretation, and other practical aspects of conducting statistical analysis.
The course will start with types and methods for testing statistical hypotheses about network structure (e.g., permutation tests, CUG tests) and then move on to Exponential-family Random Graph Models (ERGM). The ERGMs for static networks will be discussed in the context of sociocentric data and in the context of egocentrically-sampled data. Moving on to modeling dynamic networks, the course will discuss Temporal ERGMs (TERGM) and Stochastic Actor-Oriented Models (SAOM). The course will almost exclusively rely on R.
Every meeting will consist of two parts. The first part will include a presentation, demonstration, and discussions of concepts, models, and methods. The second part will be devoted to hands-on training in using R to apply the presented methods to real data. While the instructors will provide datasets for these exercises, participants are encouraged to bring their own data.
Organizational Structure of the Course
Each day of the course will be organized in two 3-hour sessions: lecture/presentation and hands-on lab. Presentations will introduce the necessary concepts and demonstrate the discussed tools. Lab sessions will enable the participants to practice, with guidance from the instructors, applying SNA concepts and using tools on real network datasets.
While the instructors will provide illustrative datasets, participants are encouraged to bring their own data to practice the presented methods on familiar material and to, hopefully, advance their projects during the course.
Target group
You will find the course useful if:
- You are a social science researcher (PhD student, post-doc or senior) conducting or preparing to conduct network-analytic studies.
- You are a researcher intending to extend your arsenal of empirical research skills to statistical network analysis and related techniques.
Learning objectives
By the end of the course you will be able to:
Prerequisites
Those looking for an introductory course should consider taking “Introduction to Social Network Analysis” (16-20 September).
Software and Hardware Requirements
You are expected to bring your own laptop with the following software installed:
