MultiLevel Network Modelling Group

Summary

There is at present a lack of consensus amongst different researchers regarding the modelling of large scale social systems, because multilevel dependencies are treated disparately by different disciplines: in general multilevel modelling in the social sciences focuses on aspects of the multilevel structure other than the social network, organisational theory focuses on organisations, whilst most social network analysis focuses on the network but not other aspects of multilevel social structure. This team of internationally recognised experts in social network analysis, multilevel modelling and organisational theory will develop new methods to bridge this divide.

In order to fully understand the nature of multilevel social networks, a sophisticated methodology is needed that carefully integrates ideas from multilevel analysis with recent developments in statistical models for networks, such as p* models. Such a methodology will involve the development of: 1) an appropriate model framework that incorporates multilevel and network elements and 2) techniques for applying and interpreting this model framework. Such methods and approaches will have considerable substantive research value.

The project commenced on October 1st 2009 and runs for 3 years until September 2012.

The research is funded by the Leverhulme Trust, under the International Collaborative Networks scheme.

Group members

Project Guide, March 2010 (.pdf)

contact:

Principal Investigator: mark.tranmer "at" manchester.ac.uk

Network Administrator: margaret.martin "at" manchester.ac.uk