Social Network Analysis: Concepts, Methodology, and Directions for the 1990s

Network analysis has been used extensively in sociology over the last twenty years. This special issue of Sociological Methods & Research reviews the substantive contributions that network analysis has made to five areas: political sociology, interorganizational relations, social support, social influence, and epidemiology. To introduce the novice to current developments in the field, this introductory article presents an overview of the key concepts and methods which are popular among sociologists and which have been used to advance knowledge in these substantive areas. Remaining articles are also discussed briefly, with speculations offered on some of the more promising avenues of inquiry recently under exploration.