XXIV International Sunbelt Social Network Conference
Portorož, Slovenia, May 12 - 16, 2004

Siena workshop

The Analysis of Longitudinal Social Network Data

Tom Snijders
   
ICS, University of Groningen.
    e-mail:   t.a.b.snijders@ppsw.rug.nl

Longitudinal social network data are understood in this workshop as two or more repeated observations of a directed graph on a given node set (usually between 30 and 100 nodes, sometimes up to a few hundreds). In other words, this workshop is about statistical modeling of the dynamics of complete networks. The workshop teaches the statistical method to analyze such data, as described in Sociological Methodology - 2001, p. 361-395, and implemented in the SIENA program. The statistical model used for the network evolution allows various network effects (reciprocity, transitivity, cycles, popularity, etc.), effects of individual covariates (covariates connected to the sender, the receiver, or the similarity between sender and receiver), and of dyadic covariates. One interpretation of this model is an actor-oriented model where the nodes are actors whose choices determine the network evolution. Further information about this method, including references and a JAVA demo, can be found at website http://stat.gamma.rug.nl/snijders/siena.html. The statistical analysis is based on Monte Carlo simulations of the network evolution model and therefore is a bit time-consuming.
The computer program SIENA is included in the package StOCNET which runs under Windows. The workshop will demonstrate the basics of using StOCNET and SIENA.
Attention will be paid to the underlying statistical methodology, to examples, and to the use of the software. The morning session will focus on the intuitive understanding of the model and operation of the software. The afternoon will continue this, and also present some further mathematical background. Some attention will be paid also to a recent development: models for the simultaneous dynamics of networks and behavior; and to the use of SIENA for the p* or (equivalently) Exponential Random Graph Model.
Participants are requested to check website http://stat.gamma.rug.nl/snijders/siena.html in the week before the workshop to download the workshop materials.

Workshops;   XXIV SUNBELT index