Egocentric Network Analysis : Foundations, Methods, and Models

Egocentric network analysis is used widely across the social, information, and health sciences. Until now, there has been no single reference for researchers seeking guidance on best practice in egocentric network analysis. This book fills this gap, synthesizing a diverse and diffuse body of knowledge on this method and its applications.

Egocentric network analysis is used widely across the social sciences, especially in anthropology, political science, economics, and sociology, and is increasingly being employed in communications, informatics, and business and marketing studies. Egocentric network analysis requires a unique set of data collection and analysis skills that overlap only minimally with other network methodologies. However, until now there has been no single reference for conceptualizing, collecting, and analyzing egocentric social network data. This comprehensive guide to study design, data collection, and analysis brings together the state of knowledge with the most effective research tools to guide newcomers to this field. It is illustrated with many engaging examples and graphics and assumes no prior knowledge. Covering the entire research process in a logical sequence, from conceptualizing research questions to interpreting findings, this volume provides a solid foundation for researchers at any stage of their career to learn and apply ego network methods.