A network analytic-based method for facilitating interdisciplinary dialogue at conferences

Abstract

This paper proposes a network analytic-based method in order to better facilitate interdisciplinary dialogue at conferences. Using a network composed of papers and subject headings of the 2013 ASIS&T Conference Proceedings, its structure is first analyzed by applying a community detection algorithm and two major centrality measures: betweenness and degree centralities. A combination of degree centrality measurements, along with a qualitative evaluation of the results of those measurements, form a novel method that could potentially connect collections whose content may have been previously "siloed" into separate tracks.