Whole Network Analysis

In previous chapters, we spent a lot of time covering how networks can be constructed using text and how cleanup can be done on networks. In this chapter, we are moving on to whole network analysis. For the sake of simplicity, I will call it WNA. WNA is done to get the lay of the land, to understand the denseness of a network, which nodes are most important in various ways, which communities exist, and so forth. I’m going to cover material that I have found useful, which is a bit different from what is found in most social network analysis (SNA) or network science books. I do applied network science every day, and my goal is to showcase some of the options that are available to allow readers to very quickly get started in network analysis.

Network science and SNA are both very rich topics, and if you find any section of this chapter especially interesting, I encourage you to do your own research to learn more. Throughout this book, I will reference...