This course introduces undergraduate students to theories and methods for studying social networks, the ties connecting people, groups, and organizations. The principles that students learn in this course will enable them to study advanced network topics of their choosing.
About half of the class meetings will be devoted to learning and practicing network analysis methods. Students will learn how to perform some basic network analyses of previously collected datasets, using the UCINET computer package. We'll also explore network visualizations using NetDraw, a spatial plotting program. Computer programming skill is not a prerequisite for this course
The course is conducted in lecture, discussion, and lab formats. Class meetings consist of three types of activities: (1) an overview of the main aspects of a topic, in a formal presentation by the instructor; (2) open discussions among all participants of key issues, applications to empirical research, and potential directions for future developments; and (3) laboratory sessions in network data analysis methods, led by the instructor and TA. Labs will be held on Wednesdays. Students should bring their laptops to the lab sessions to analyze network data.