Social Network Analysis

Students are to write a term paper based on a case study analysis. The paper will follow the format of particular sections of a peer-reviewed journal article. Components of the final paper will include an introduction, a very detailed data and methods section, a very detailed results section.

APA Format, Double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12pt Font ONLY

To help guide you through the process of collecting data, and constructing and analyzing your network, you MUST read:

Morselli, C. (2001). Structuring Mr. Nice: Entrepreneurial opportunities and brokerage positioning in the cannabis trade. Crime, Law & Social Change, 35, 203- 244 (posted on Beachboard).

BOOK CHOICE: Always Running by Luis Rodriguez

When reading your autobiography, pay close attention to people in which your subject comes into contact, partakes in specific events and crimes, where crimes occur in specific places, or crimes occur at specific times. Even if there is not an exact date, you can make a variable that distinguishes between different time-periods such that your network will evolve over time (this is for the period data requirement). E.g. The radicalization of Omar Hammami occurred via place – he started in Arkansas, moved to Canada, to Egypt, and finally to Somalia. His network was traced via place which also takes place linearly along a timeline. Secondary sources should also be used to triangulate data where needed.

*The following page numbers are ONLY an approximate guide to better help you construct your paper. Some sections may be longer or shorter depending on your subject and writing style.

Data and Methods

The key here is to decide what network measures work best to explain and describe your network and why – YOU MUST EXPLAIN HERE WHY YOU ARE USING THE METHODS YOU CHOSE – how/why do they help answer your research questions?

Aprrox. 3 – 4 pages. Present the details of your data and methods here. How you got the data, how you coded the data, and how you measured your variables. Discuss the methods and network measures used to describe your network and how you will apply these analyses to your specific study and why; how Social Networking Analysis is important in understanding the type of criminal network or crime from which your subject is related (Use Koshade, 2006 as a guideline on network analyses). Explain and describe in detail the use of secondary data sources to triangulate the data in your case study.

Results

Approx. 5 – 6 pages. Use this section to explain, IN DEATAIL, the results of your analyses; Descriptives, frequencies, use tables and figures from your analyses.

Describe your overall network with univariate statistics (frequencies and descriptives). Pay attention to directional versus non-directional ties. Look for patterns, similarities, differences among actors in your network in both ties and attributes and present them here.

Describe your network topography (density and centralization must be used. Other topographical measures that help explain your network can also be used here). Describe your overall network structure in terms of these measures. Look for patterns/similarities/differences in network structure and present them in this section.

Identify the main components/clusters in your overall network and describe them in the context of your subject and their ties-who (you can use component analysis, clique analysis or K-core analysis – use the one the best helps find emergent subgroups).

Use centrality measures (degree, betweenness, closeness, eigenvector – use appropriate centrality measures that explain your network and the actors within and find the central players in your network. Look for patterns/differences/similarities among central players in the network. Who are the central players? (This could be a good use of tables in the results section). Are centrality measures associated to any specific individual attributes, do central players change over time? If so, how is this significant to your crime/criminal and the criminal network?

Use Netdraw to illustrate your network, or part of it – Use figures to illustrate the overall network and to show how the network evolves over time (here you must include 2 different figures and explanations of these figures that show how your network evolved over time or by event, phase, place etc. – these figures are to be presented IN TEXT). Presenting 1 figure per page is unacceptable and if you do this you will lose a LOT of points – please use the journal articles you read in class or any other articles you find during the research process to help format your tables and figures appropriately (HINT: check out Koshade, 2006) – all figures, tables, graphs, etc. MUST BE APA formatted.

REQUIRED NETWORK METHODS and GRAPHS/TABLES TO BE INCLUDED IN YOUR PAPER:

*Include univariate statistics – descriptives and frequencies

*Include network topography – density and centralization

*Include emergent subgroup analyses – component, clique, or K-core

*Include centrality measures that locate key players

*Include 3 sociograms (1 of your main network, 2 for your network over time)

*Include at least 1 table (of your central or KEY players by centrality measure)

*Tables and Graphs MUST BE IN APA format