Social Network Analysis: Which Tool Will You Choose?
Alright, this time I am going to reel off one liners (mostly) about a couple of prominent powerful tools worth evaluation. These tools can be of use to varying audiences and one could even get creative. Here we go, one by one:
Gephi- enables visualization and simple network metrics
NetLogo is for modelling networks - to visualize processes shaping networks and happenings on networks
iGraph is for more sophisticated and complex calculations
A great tool is Pajek (means: spider in Slovanian). http://pajek.imfm.si/doku.php (it is Windows only). Pajek is a rather very mature, excellent and extensive tool which is FREE and can be worked through drop-downs. "Social Network Analysis with Pajek" - this book teaches a good deal of scenarios one can analyze with Pajek
UCINet is a Windows only extensive tool, that requires a licence which may cost a couple of hundred dollars, though is a mature product
NodeXL is in beta, a newcomer, and is free for the moment. It is Windows only, integrates with Excel so Excel users may find it easy to work with
Those inclined towards programming can take advantage of NetworkX (Python based) . It has been developed to process large networks. Works on top of existing C and Fortran libraries, is open source
'sna' package for R has extensive, statistics-heavy functionality including the P-star model (to model networks as they evolve to test hypothesis what is driving edge formation)
Another package called SoNIA (Social Network Image Animator) is available from Stanford University that specializes in longitudinal analysis of networks, including the P-star model
So, tell me now, which of the above tools have you tried, and which one did you like the most - and if I may ask - why (i.e. please answer in context of what you do in analytics) ?
Also, do send me the name of your favorite tool you'd like me to check-out, if you have one !
Alright, this time I am going to reel off one liners (mostly) about a couple of prominent powerful tools worth evaluation. These tools can be of use to varying audiences and one could even get creative. Here we go, one by one:
Gephi- enables visualization and simple network metrics
NetLogo is for modelling networks - to visualize processes shaping networks and happenings on networks
iGraph is for more sophisticated and complex calculations
A great tool is Pajek (means: spider in Slovanian). http://pajek.imfm.si/doku.php (it is Windows only). Pajek is a rather very mature, excellent and extensive tool which is FREE and can be worked through drop-downs. "Social Network Analysis with Pajek" - this book teaches a good deal of scenarios one can analyze with Pajek
UCINet is a Windows only extensive tool, that requires a licence which may cost a couple of hundred dollars, though is a mature product
NodeXL is in beta, a newcomer, and is free for the moment. It is Windows only, integrates with Excel so Excel users may find it easy to work with
Those inclined towards programming can take advantage of NetworkX (Python based) . It has been developed to process large networks. Works on top of existing C and Fortran libraries, is open source
'sna' package for R has extensive, statistics-heavy functionality including the P-star model (to model networks as they evolve to test hypothesis what is driving edge formation)
Another package called SoNIA (Social Network Image Animator) is available from Stanford University that specializes in longitudinal analysis of networks, including the P-star model
So, tell me now, which of the above tools have you tried, and which one did you like the most - and if I may ask - why (i.e. please answer in context of what you do in analytics) ?
Also, do send me the name of your favorite tool you'd like me to check-out, if you have one !
No comments:
Post a Comment