Dynamic network analysis of contact diaries

Lerner, J., Lomi, A., Mowbray, J., Rollings, N. and Tranmer, M. (2021) Dynamic network analysis of contact diaries. Social Networks, 66, pp. 224-236. (doi: 10.1016/j.socnet.2021.04.001)

Abstract

Analyzing two-mode networks linking actors to events they attend may help to uncover the structure and evolution of social networks. This classic social network insight is particularly valuable in the analysis of data extracted from contact diaries where contact events produce — and at the same time are the product of relations among participants. Contact events may comprise any number of actors meeting at a specific point in time. In this paper we recall the correspondence between two-mode actor–event networks and hypergraphs, and propose relational hyperevent models (RHEM) as a general modeling framework for networks of time-stamped multi-actor events in which the diarist (“ego”) simultaneously meets several of her alters. RHEM can estimate event intensities associated with each possible subset of actors that may jointly participate in events, and test network effects that may be of theoretical or empirical interest. Examples of such effects include preferential attachment, prior shared activity (familiarity), closure, and covariate effects explaining the propensity of actors to co-attend events. Statistical tests of these effects can uncover processes that govern the formation and evolution of informal groups among the diarist’s alters. We illustrate the empirical value of RHEM using data comprising almost 2000 meeting events of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher with her cabinet ministers, transcribed from contact diaries covering her first term in office (1979–1983).

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Tranmer, Professor Mark and Rollings, Professor Neil and Mowbray, Dr John
• Authors: Lerner, J., Lomi, A., Mowbray, J., Rollings, N., and Tranmer, M.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences; College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Economic and Social History
• Journal Name: Social Networks
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0378-8733
• ISSN (Online): 1879-2111
• Published Online: 22 April 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Social Networks 66: 224-236
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
302320		Quantitative network analysis of appointment diaries	Neil Rollings	Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)	ES/R009236/1	S&PS - Economic & Social History