{"product_id":"conducting-personal-network-research-9781462538386","title":"Conducting Personal Network Research","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eWritten at an introductory level, and featuring engaging case examples, this book reviews the theory and practice of personal and egocentric network research. This approach offers powerful tools for capturing the impact of overlapping, changing social relationships and contexts on individuals' attitudes and behavior. The authors provide solid guidance on the formulation of research questions; research design; data collection, including decisions about survey modes and sampling frames; the measurement of network composition and structure, including the use of name generators; and statistical modeling, from basic regression techniques to more advanced multilevel and dynamic models. Ethical issues in personal network research are addressed. User-friendly features include boxes on major published studies, end-of-chapter suggestions for further reading, and an appendix describing the main software programs used in the field.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Spectacular. The writing is clear, accessible, and succinct, yet unusually comprehensive. The book covers most of what any researcher new to this important kind of analysis would want to know, such as how to think about research questions, conduct research ethically, and collect data effectively. But this book is not only for beginners--experienced researchers will find it a useful reference on many important issues, such as the precise ways that different question wordings in surveys can affect results, and the strengths and benefits of different visualization strategies.\"--Mario Luis Small, PhD, Grafstein Family Professor of Sociology, Harvard University\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"This is the best applied textbook on social network analysis I have read. It covers everything from planning and conducting a network study to using network analysis to answer network-specific questions. It provides real-life examples and conceptual explanations in clear, understandable language. The book offers the perfect balance of foundational knowledge of network processes and practical tips for examining them. This is a 'must read' for anyone embarking on network research.\"--Leslie Echols, PhD, Department of Psychology, Missouri State University\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"A sound, well-written, and authoritative guide on how to do (and interpret) personal network research. The book nicely links personal network analysis to broader methodological approaches. I really like the boxed research case examples. I recommend this book and will use it both in teaching and professionally.”--Barry Wellman, PhD, Director, NetLab Network, Toronto, Canada\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"This is an exciting book because it can be used by so many. Researchers new to personal network analysis get definitions, concepts, and design help that will get them going and carry them a long way. At the same time, the book has nuggets that even the most experienced in the field will value. The authors know well many of the methodological issues regarding social network analysis, and have made important contributions, specifically regarding the measurement of networks, the use of multilevel models, and generation of network visualizations. But they also know fieldwork and the deeper scientific issues and challenges that often accompany methodological decisions. This is evidence-based practice at its best. I will immediately recommend this book to several of my students engaging in analysis of personal networks, as well as others who will benefit from specific chapters. I can think of several projects in the past that would have benefited from this book. I am thrilled that it is here now.\"--Ken Frank, PhD, MSU Foundation Professor of Sociometrics, Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Special Education, Michigan State University\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"The book describes the breadth of research in the field. It walks the reader through the process of creating a personal network, typically through a name generator, and addresses important conceptual considerations and pitfalls. I'm a big fan of the boxed examples throughout the book; they tend to summarize really interesting findings. The authors impart a great deal of wisdom and provide enough information to work from initial conceptualization to analysis and presentation of results.”--Bernie Hogan, PhD, Senior Research Fellow, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, United Kingdom\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"This is an ideal introductory book for graduate students and researchers interested in studying personal networks. The authors provide great illustrations and case studies of personal networks and why they matter to many outcomes of interest, across fields as diverse as sociology, organizational science, and public health. Descriptions of the challenges that often arise when studying personal networks--and the pros and cons of various solutions--will doubtless help readers make informed decisions when planning their own research.\"--Kayla de la Haye, PhD, Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Written by leading, accomplished scholars, this is a rich how-to guide for students seeking to conduct network analysis. In particular, the book explains well the care--both conceptual and practical--that must be taken to best construct and measure the qualities of social ties.\"--Claude S. Fischer, PhD, Professor of the Graduate School, Department of Sociology, University of California, Berkeley -\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrologue\u003cbr\u003e 1. Introduction\u003cbr\u003e What Is This Chapter About?\u003cbr\u003e 1.1 Everyone Has a Personal Network\u003cbr\u003e 1.2 The Size, Composition, and Structure of Personal Networks\u003cbr\u003e 1.3 Egos, Alters, Egocentric Networks, and Sociocentric Networks\u003cbr\u003e 1.4 Should I Use Personal Network or Whole Network Analysis?\u003cbr\u003e Box: Combining Personal and Whole Networks\u003cbr\u003e 1.5 Who Is This Book For?\u003cbr\u003e 1.6 Book Overview\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Summary\u003cbr\u003e 2. How Personal Networks Have Been Used So Far\u003cbr\u003e What Is This Chapter About?\u003cbr\u003e 2.1 A Brief History of Personal Network Analysis\u003cbr\u003e Box: The Bott Hypothesis about Conjugal Roles and Social Networks\u003cbr\u003e Box: Clyde Mitchell and the Manchester School\u003cbr\u003e Box: The Small World Experiment\u003cbr\u003e Box: The East York Studies\u003cbr\u003e 2.2 What We Currently Know about Personal Networks\u003cbr\u003e 2.3 Theoretical Frameworks for Effects of Personal Networks on Individual Outcomes\u003cbr\u003e 2.4 Final Remarks\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Summary\u003cbr\u003e Further Reading\u003cbr\u003e 3. Developing a Research Question\u003cbr\u003e What Is This Chapter About?\u003cbr\u003e 3.1 Research Questions, Hypotheses, and Objectives\u003cbr\u003e 3.2 Outcomes and Social Determinants\u003cbr\u003e 3.3 Real or Perceived?\u003cbr\u003e 3.4 Some Examples of Questions and Hypotheses in Personal Network Research\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Summary\u003cbr\u003e Further Reading\u003cbr\u003e 4. Getting Started: Selecting a Population, Survey Mode, and Sampling Frames\u003cbr\u003e What Is This Chapter About?\u003cbr\u003e 4.1 Deciding Whether Personal Network Analysis Is Appropriate\u003cbr\u003e 4.2 Selecting a Population\u003cbr\u003e Box: Neighborhood Networks and Status\u003cbr\u003e Box: Emotional Support and Cognitive Functioning among the Elderly\u003cbr\u003e Box: Social Support and Smoking in African American Adults\u003cbr\u003e 4.3 The Survey Mode\u003cbr\u003e 4.4 The Sampling Frame\u003cbr\u003e 4.5 Integration with Larger Surveys\u003cbr\u003e 4.6 Identifying Dependent and Explanatory Variables\u003cbr\u003e Box: Loneliness and Dementia\u003cbr\u003e Box: Personal Networks and Ethnic Identity\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Summary\u003cbr\u003e Further Reading\u003cbr\u003e 5. Questions about the Ego\u003cbr\u003e What Is This Chapter About?\u003cbr\u003e 5.1 Variables and Research Aims: What Questions to Ask\u003cbr\u003e Box: Personal Networks and Social Support: Comparing Two Ethnic Groups in Southern California\u003cbr\u003e 5.2 Levels of Measurement\u003cbr\u003e Box: Needle-Sharing and Personal Network Correlates\u003cbr\u003e 5.3 Wording a Question\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Summary\u003cbr\u003e Further Reading\u003cbr\u003e 6. Delineating Personal Networks: Alter Elicitation\u003cbr\u003e What Is This Chapter About?\u003cbr\u003e 6.1 What Is a Name Generator?\u003cbr\u003e Box: Contact Lists in Phones and Personal Networks\u003cbr\u003e 6.2 How Social Ties Are Stored in Memory and How They Are Recalled\u003cbr\u003e Box: Probing\u003cbr\u003e 6.3 Defining the Boundaries of Personal Networks\u003cbr\u003e 6.4 Name Generators for Eliciting Intentional (Nonrandom) Subsets of Alters\u003cbr\u003e Box: Multiple Name Generators for Social Support\u003cbr\u003e Box: Single- and Multiple-Name Generators\u003cbr\u003e 6.5 A Name Generator for Eliciting a Random Subset of Alters\u003cbr\u003e 6.6 Additional Qualifiers of the Network Boundary\u003cbr\u003e 6.7 Alternative Approaches to Name Generators\u003cbr\u003e Box: Keeping Diaries of Contacts during Three Months and Beyond\u003cbr\u003e 6.8 Final Remarks\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Summary\u003cbr\u003e Further Reading\u003cbr\u003e 7. Collecting Alter Attributes\u003cbr\u003e What Is This Chapter About?\u003cbr\u003e 7.1 What Is a Name Interpreter?\u003cbr\u003e 7.2 What We Really Know about Alters\u003cbr\u003e Box: Alters’ Real Attributes or the Ego’s Perception of Their Attributes?\u003cbr\u003e 7.3 Questions about the Attributes of Alters\u003cbr\u003e 7.4 Questions about Relationships between the Ego and the Alter\u003cbr\u003e Box: Tie Strength: Closeness, Duration of Relationship, or Frequency of Contact?\u003cbr\u003e Box: Level of Knowing, Duration of Relationship, and Frequency of Contact\u003cbr\u003e Box: The Friendship Label\u003cbr\u003e 7.5 How Many Questions about Alters? Respondent Burden\u003cbr\u003e Box: Ordering Questions about Alters Alterwise or Questionwise\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Summary\u003cbr\u003e Further Reading\u003cbr\u003e 8. Collecting Data about Ties between Alters\u003cbr\u003e What Is This Chapter About?\u003cbr\u003e 8.1 What Is an Edge Interpreter?\u003cbr\u003e 8.2 What We Really Know about Alter–Alter Ties\u003cbr\u003e 8.3 Alter–Alter Prompts\u003cbr\u003e Box: Detailed Answer Categories for Smaller Personal Networks\u003cbr\u003e 8.4 Respondent Burden\u003cbr\u003e Box: The Reliability of Respondents’ Evaluations of Alter–Alter Ties\u003cbr\u003e Box: A Different Way to Explore Network Structure and Composition\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Summary\u003cbr\u003e Further Reading\u003cbr\u003e 9. Visualizing Personal Networks\u003cbr\u003e What Is This Chapter About?\u003cbr\u003e 9.1 Personal Network Visualization: Basic Principles\u003cbr\u003e 9.2 Collecting Personal Network Data through Visual Displays\u003cbr\u003e 9.3 Network Visualizations as Cues in Qualitative Interviews\u003cbr\u003e 9.4 Comparing Personal Networks through Visualizations\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Summary\u003cbr\u003e Further Reading\u003cbr\u003e 10. Measuring Personal Network Characteristics without Generating Names\u003cbr\u003e What Is This Chapter About?\u003cbr\u003e 10.1 Characteristics of Larger Personal Networks\u003cbr\u003e 10.2 Personal Network Size\u003cbr\u003e Box: The Random Mixing Assumption in the Network Scale-Up Method\u003cbr\u003e 10.3 Social Distance\u003cbr\u003e 10.4 Social Capital\u003cbr\u003e 10.5 Social Support\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Summary\u003cbr\u003e Further Reading\u003cbr\u003e 11. Analyzing Personal Network Composition and Structure\u003cbr\u003e What Is This Chapter About?\u003cbr\u003e 11.1 Summarizing Name Interpreters and Edge Interpreters by Respondents\u003cbr\u003e 11.2 Creating Simple Compositional Variables from Personal Networks\u003cbr\u003e Box: How to Use SPSS for Working with Personal Network Data\u003cbr\u003e 11.3 More Advanced Compositional Variables\u003cbr\u003e Box: The Power of Homophily\u003cbr\u003e 11.4 Creating Simple Structural Variables from Personal Networks\u003cbr\u003e Box: To Include or to Exclude Ego?\u003cbr\u003e Box: Personality and Personal Network Structure\u003cbr\u003e 11.5 Creating Compositional Variables Based on More Than One Attribute\u003cbr\u003e 11.6 Creating Variables That Combine Composition and Structure\u003cbr\u003e Box: 11.7 Adding Compositional and Structural Variables to the Dataset\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Summary\u003cbr\u003e Further Reading\u003cbr\u003e 12. Statistical Modeling with Personal Network Data: The Level of Egos\u003cbr\u003e What Is This Chapter About?\u003cbr\u003e 12.1 Personal Network Data and Statistical Modeling\u003cbr\u003e 12.2 Predicting Ego-Level Dependent Variables\u003cbr\u003e 12.3 Models for Non-Network Dependent Variables\u003cbr\u003e Box: Using Personal Network Characteristics to Predict Immigrant Assimilation\u003cbr\u003e Box: The Effect of Personal Network Exposure on Reproductive Health Behavior\u003cbr\u003e Box: A Longitudinal Analysis of Personal Support Networks and Depression\u003cbr\u003e Box: Using Cluster Analysis to Find Types of Immigrants’ Personal Networks\u003cbr\u003e 12.4 Models for Network Dependent Variables\u003cbr\u003e Box: Predicting Network Dependent Variables with Generalized Linear Models\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Summary\u003cbr\u003e Further Reading\u003cbr\u003e 13. Statistical Modeling with Personal Network Data: The Level of Alters and Ties\u003cbr\u003e What Is This Chapter About?\u003cbr\u003e 13.1 Statistical Models for Alters or Ego–Alter Ties\u003cbr\u003e Box: Testing Theories on Social Support with Hierarchical Models for Personal Networks\u003cbr\u003e 13.2 Statistical Models for Alter–Alter Ties\u003cbr\u003e Box: Modeling Alter–Alter Ties to Study Transitivity and Homophily\u003cbr\u003e Box: Using Personal Networks to Estimate Whole Network Characteristics through ERGMs\u003cbr\u003e Box: Using SAOMs to Examine the Evolution of Alter–Alter Ties over Time\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Summary\u003cbr\u003e Further Reading\u003cbr\u003e 14. Ethics in Personal Network Research\u003cbr\u003e What Is This Chapter About?\u003cbr\u003e 14.1 Personal Network Research and Ethical Dilemmas\u003cbr\u003e 14.2 Gaining Consent\u003cbr\u003e 14.3 Confidentiality\u003cbr\u003e Box: Incentives and Respondent-Driven Sampling\u003cbr\u003e 14.4 Social Media and Mobile Phones\u003cbr\u003e 14.5 Managing and Publishing Personal Network Data\u003cbr\u003e Box: Doing Network Research in Organizational Settings\u003cbr\u003e Chapter Summary\u003cbr\u003e Further Reading\u003cbr\u003e Appendix\u003cbr\u003e References\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Guilford Publications","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49408643957079,"sku":"9781462538386","price":38.94,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/conducting-personal-network-research-9781462538386","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}