A Three-Step Approach to Exploring Ambiguous Networks

Abstract

The study of social networks has included an array of mixed methods research in recent years. More often than not, however, research design is not discussed in any great depth. This article discusses procedural issues relating to employing both social network analysis and qualitative methods in a whole network study of cross-community youth leaders in a particularly segregated area of Belfast, Northern Ireland. A compound, sequential, three-step research design was used where distinct research phases were employed to account for the realities of researching an ambiguous network. This article will highlight design issues that tend to be overlooked in network research and offer practical responses that can be of benefit to researchers facing similar challenges.

Engagement and Efficacy of Secondary Teachers Towards Sustainability of Research Culture: The Moderated Mediating Effect of Ancillary Functions and Research Productivity

“…The commendable research productivity demonstrated by secondary teachers in DepEd Quezon underscores their commitment to professional development and engagement in research-related activities. This aligns with existing literature emphasizing the significance of providing support, training, and recognition to educators to foster a sustainable research culture in educational settings (Smith et al, 2023;Jones & Smith, 2020). The descriptive analysis reveals that in terms of the sustainability of the research culture, the indicator "Gestation" obtained the highest mean score of 3.30 (SD = 0.60), corresponding to a "Very High Sustainability" level.…”

“…Numerous related studies corroborate the findings of high research productivity among secondary teachers. For instance, Smith et al (2023) demonstrated that professional development programs focusing on research skills significantly bolstered teachers' research productivity and engagement. Likewise, Jones & Smith (2020) underscored the pivotal role of rewards and recognition in motivating teachers to actively participate in research endeavours.…”

Reproductive health decision making among nomadic pastoralists in North Eastern Kenya: a qualitative social network analysis

“…To explore the social networks in which nomadic and semi-nomadic women were embedded, and how these shaped social norms related to RSH, we carried out qualitative egocentric SNA. The ego-centric approach to data collection is useful in this setting as there is no complete list of relevant individuals, therefore this approach aids in defining the network boundary [49,50]. Qualitative egocentric network interviewing methods, first developed in the 1950's in the field of anthropology, have recently resurged in popularity, either as stand-alone methods or in combination with quantitative SNA methods, to illuminate the arenas of social interaction that shape or enforce social norms, as well as the composition of network partners, patterns of influence, and the enforcement of social norms that uphold or challenge prevailing practices [51,52].…”

Network Ethnography

“…This is surprising when we consider the role played by anthropology (together with sociology and mathematics) in developing social network analytic methods (Borgerhoff-Mulder & Caro, 1985; Marsden, 1990). SNA, relational matrices, and various ethnographic techniques have already been applied jointly to other, related settings, like social networks of youth leaders in segregated communities (Smith, in press), technology-mediated interactions in communities of practice (Howard, 2002), and intraorganizational brokering of knowledge (Currie & White, 2012). Besides, SNA and interview-based qualitative data have been used jointly in studies of interorganizational networks, for example to produce insights into the evolution of such systems and reasons for their decay (Human & Provan, 1997, 2000).…”