Social network analysis is a rapidly expanding interdisciplinary paradigm , much of which is taking place with online data. As such, some concepts will only be addressed superficially, while others (such as positions, p* models and multilevel analysis) will be excluded entirely. The goal is to facilitate enough network literacy to begin a research project rather than provide a complete end-to-end solution. Social network analysis has emerged in the past half-century as a compelling complement to the standard toolkit of social science researchers. At its foundation is a belief that explanations for social organization are not to be found in innate drives or abstract forces. Instead we can look to the structure.
