Social Network Analysis Using R

Social network analysis (SNA) involves analysis of the formation of relationships and the transmission of information (or possibly products, diseases, and so forth). Research in social networks has grown rapidly since 1990, a reflection of the improvement in statistical computing (faster computers accommodate more complicated models) and the growth of the Internet, which provides both data through participation in social media, including blogs, and an open environment in which researchers can exchange software. This entry looks at the growth of interest in researching social networks using the statistical software framework called R. It first discusses the development of R, then looks at how it is used to represent social networks and analyze the formation of new networks.