Social network analysis: a powerful strategy, also for the information sciences

TLDR

Social network analysis is a strategy for studying social structures, applied by information scientists to publication, citation, collaboration, and Internet networks, and linked to theories of free markets, geography, and transport. The study examines SNA’s influence within information sciences. Centrality metrics were computed for the SNA network. SNA proved effective across these studies, its growth is documented, and a co‑author network of SNA was mapped.

Abstract

Social network analysis (SNA) is not a formal theory in sociology but rather a strategy for investigating social structures. As it is an idea that can be applied in many fields, we study, in particular, its influence in the information sciences. Information scientists study publication, citation and co-citation networks, collaboration structures and other forms of social interaction networks. Moreover, the Internet represents a social network of an unprecedented scale. In all these studies social network analysis can successfully be applied. SNA is further related to recent theories concerning the free market economy, geography and transport networks. The growth of SNA is documented and a co-author network of SNA is drawn. Centrality measures of the SNA network are calculated.