Comparative Methods for Delineating Social Networks

Abstract

By centering on the assumption that clear conceptualization precedes appropriate measurement, four methods for defining and enumerating personal networks are detailed. Global networks are defined in terms of the domain from which all other personal networks are derived. The three additional types, including significant other, exchange and interactive networks, are conceptually unique and largely non-overlapping in their memberships. The network types reviewed here do not exhaust all of the methods available for sampling personal networks, but they do represent methods with favorable psychometric properties and, most importantly, clear conceptual foundations.