Data in social network analysis

Abstract

Social Network research relies on a variety of data-sources, depending on the problem-scenario and the questions, which the research is trying to answer or inform. In this paper, we analyze some of the data sources indexed by the sizes of these data-sets and relating them back to the research question, which the data-set is used for. In carrying out such an exercise, our goal is to assign a confidence metric to the data-set when tied to the field within the Social Network analysis that the data is used for. This will lay the foundation for benchmarking the results of any social networking study by means of concrete requirements for the data-sets used in research. © 2009 Springer-Verlag.