Social Network Methods
Wellman's methodological contributions have been for the analysis of ego-centered or "personal" networks – defined from the standpoint of an individual (usually a person). As batches of personal networks are often studied, this calls for somewhat different techniques than the more common social network practice of analyzing a single large network.
A 2007 paper, co-authored by Wellman (with Bernie Hogan and Juan-Antonio Carrasco), has discussed alternatives in gathering personal network data. A paper with Kenneth Frank showed how to tackle the problem of simultaneously analyzing personal network data on the two distinct levels of ties and networks. "Neighboring in Netville" has been cited as the only published study of personal networks from a known roster of potential network members. The most widely cited papers are the simplest: co-authored guides to analyzing personal network data while using the statistical software packages SAS and SPSS.
Other work by Wellman with Howard D. White and associates has examined how to link social network analysis with the scientometric study of citation networks. This research has shown that scholarly friends do not necessarily cite each other, but that scholars cited in the same article are apt to seek each other out and become friends.
Read more about this topic: Barry Wellman
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