To register for this workshop click here. The registration deadline is March 15, 2019.

The Analysis of Anthropological Networks in R. Day/Time: Wed, March 27, 8AM-12PM; Description: Learn to gather relational data and do social network analysis in R. Organizers: James Holland Jones, Stanford U ([email protected]), Ashley Hazel, Stanford U ([email protected]). Pre-registration Required

Description: In this course, we will explore social network analysis (SNA), a set of methods and theories used in the analysis of social structure. We will work with a variety of state-of-the-art tools available in the free statistical language, R, emphasizing in particular the use of statistical models for networks (e.g., exponential random graph models) and network visualization. We focus on data as they would be collected in face-to-face, anthropological fieldwork (i.e., either through direct observation or through ethnographic interviews or surveys), which makes this workshop different from most SNA short courses. This means generally concentrating on egocentric network, two-mode network, and sampled network data. In order to build our way up to discussion of statistical models for networks, we will cover some classic approaches to structural analysis, including: social relationships in humans and other animals, introduction to graphs and the basics of graph theory, network visualization, structural measures (e.g., density, centrality and centralization, clustering and community detection, embeddedness). In addition, we will cover topics in research design, including: network sampling, data representation, data quality, and missing data. We will use R-based tools from both the igraph package and the statnet family of packages. Some familiarity with R is advisable.

 

This year, we will break the workshop into two sessions. The first session will focus on tools and methods for data collection: sample designs, data formatting, coding, name generators, link-tracing, matching, missing data, etc. This will be of paramount interest for researchers, such as human biologists or human behavioral ecologists, working with people. Experience indicates that primatologists may be less interested in this aspect of the workshop. The second session will presuppose the existence of relational data and will focus on analysis and, particularly, fitting exponential random graph models. This should be of interest to everyone.

 

Audience: Anyone interested in networks, this includes human biologists, human behavioral ecologists, and primatologists"