Exploratory Social Network Analysis with Pajek (Structural Analysis in the Social Sciences) Expanded edition

Social Network Analysis (SNA) has a number of different ways of doing analysis that depend on the point of view one is taking about the data. Different types of analysis make sense to answer different types of questions. For instance, it may be interesting to find paths from node to node, it may be interesting to see how nodes (representing many things: people, organizations, teams, businesses or countries, for instance) cluster together. One might want to see the links between clusters and much more. It can be bewildering to choose the right method and then use software do to the analysis. Since there are so many choices, any software that does SNA will be complex.Each chapter of this book highlights an important type of analysis and takes the reader through doing the analysis step-by-step using the freeware software package Pajek (Slovenian for "spider"). Pajek allows the user to do a huge range of analysis and visualize it. It can work with large networks. Tho book does not assume knowledge SNA and explains the motives for the types of analysis so that after going through the book the reader has the basic skills to both do SNA and understand the studies that have been done using SNA.

Pajek means spider in Slovenian. Pajek is also a software program for the analysis and visualisation of very large networks; networks with thousands if not millions of vertices. It is a program I use occasionally, however I prefer UCINET and NetMiner 3 , because I find these programs to be easier to use. It is precisely for this reason I bought and read "Exploratory Social Network Analysis with Pajek" by Wouter de Nooy, Andrej Mrvar, and Vladimir Batagelj.The book is an easy read and nicely complements the manual - in fact I think it could easily replace the manual.I learnt that Pajek is actually quite a bite easier to use than I first thought. Having played around with Pajek after reading the book I found I could manipulate my datasets in new ways. That said I am not a convert to Pajek.I did like the examples and the explanations that went with them. Even if I never use Pajek again the book is useful simply because the examples explain rather than describe many of the complexities and pitfalls of network analysis. Read in conjunction with other publications like Wassermann and Faust's "Social Network Analysis. Methods and Applications" the student of network analysis should gain a solid theoretical understanding of network analysis and be able to read network studies more critically. I also found the many exercises in the book most useful. They progressively built and reinforced understanding and competence in Pajek, as well as understanding of network ideas.So all in all I would give the book a five-star rating - five stars for readability and five stars for the learning by doing approach. It has a place on the bookshelf of even serious student of network analysis.Regards, Graham

Pajek becomes a necessary tool when using large samples in social network analysis. Unfortunately, finding basic, comprehensive tutorials and user guides either within the software itself (UCINET is extremely commendable by comparison for this reason alone) or elsewhere is nearly impossible. Ironically, while the software is free, the guide is not. And, should you find yourself having to use Pajek, this book is a very useful, basic guide to the program. Chapters break down various components of larger analytical procedures (such as calculating centrality or identifying cliques), and provide simple examples as well as the order of commands needed to perform the function in the software itself. Each chapter concludes with a set of practice questions and explanations. The book also includes chapters on software and file management such as saving program files and printing visualizations.I do have two complaints about this text, however. The first is that, some of the network examples and practice questions correspond to pre-fabricated data files that are not included with the book say, for example, as a CD-Rom where you could load files onto your desktop. Moreover, despite Pajek being a valuable tool for dealing with large networks, the text largely deals with analysis of very small samples. Granted, there is a feasibility not only in examining, but illustrating such small networks, but very few tutorials will provide guidelines and outline the caveats of dealing with larger networks.Despite this, for those who are new to social networking analysis and particularly the software side and using Pajek, this is a good starting point that is easy to understand.

As a new comer of SNA, the book is great. I would rate it 4.5.Dong SNA means using SNA software. You cannot learn swimming just by reading book. "Exploratory Social Network Analysis with Pajek" not only provides theory of SNA but also step by step guidelines on how to use Pajek to do acutal analysis. Pajek provides data set used in EACH chapters from their website for reader to download and try. That helps me understand SNA concepts a lot. Recommend reader downloading their data set to try, not JUST read the book.I rate it only 4.5 but not 5. The book is great on "guiding" reader how to do SNA. However, if I have somethings want to do for analysis, it is not easy to search relevant topics. But I understand, it is a book on using Pajek, not handbook of SNA.

There have been quite a few texts on SNA out in the last few years. For those of us who are not mathematicians, but who are ready to start digging into the nitty gritty of running analyses, this is a wonderful resource. I honestly had no idea so much could be done with Pajek.It also provides some interesting examples for visualizing two-mode networks that I am pretty excited to play around with.

I am a marine biologist that is dipping his toes into social network analysis for the first time. I found this book to be accessbile and a great guide to a software package that you can downlad (for free) from the web.

Not great for quick reference, allthough if you have a few weeks would be good to work through all the exercises as an introduction. For reference (and most things, other than teaching yourself without an appropriate dataset) the online Pajek manual is better.

This is a very good book on network analysis, well designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students. I enjoyed very much the commands on the margins of the book, which I consulted while analysing my network with Pajek.

good