Quantitative Methods in the
Social Sciences 2

18 - 19 December 2008

Amsterdam School of Communications Research, University of Amsterdam,

Organisers

Gregor Petrič and Wouter de Nooy

Goal

The intensive use of new information and communication technologies, especially the web, by individuals and social actors generally has tremendously increased the availability of data and opportunities for data processing and analysis. This seminar will stress the value of taking appropriate theoretical perspectives and using appropriate analytic strategies in the study of (computer mediated) communication networks. The network will bring together leading researchers and young scientists from a range of disciplines to share knowledge and produce synergies that will define the research field.

Themes

Main topics of the workshop:

1. Communication networks on the web as a theoretical and methodological challenge

• conceptualization of communication processes on the web
• possibilities and problems of theoretically informed social network analysis

2. Social structures on the web

• emergence of social structures in communication networks on the web
• interactional and community dynamics
• social roles, collective action

3. Dynamics of collaboration on the web

• structure of citation and collaboration ties
• structure of content
• combination of two approaches

4. Measuring and collecting data for communication networks on the web

• methodologies for analyzing communication networks on the web
• collecting, parsing, coding data
• identification of actors and identification of the content

Invited speakers

Prof. Noshir Contractor, Northwestern University, USA.
Prof. Loet Leydesdorff, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Prof. Mike Thelwall, University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.
Howard Welser PhD, Ohio University, USA.

Programme

Final Report