A Relational Hyperlink Analysis of an Online Social Movement

In this paper we propose relational hyperlink analysis (RHA) as a distinct approach for empirical social science research into hyperlink networks on the World Wide Web. We demonstrate this approach, which employs the ideas and techniques of social network analysis (in particular, exponential random graph modeling), in a study of the hyperlinking behaviors of Australian asylum advocacy groups. We show that compared with the commonly-used hyperlink counts regression approach, relational hyperlink analysis can lead to fundamentally different conclusions about the social processes underpinning hyperlinking behavior. In particular, in trying to understand why social ties are formed, counts regressions may over-estimate the role of actor attributes in the formation of hyperlinks when endogenous, purely structural network effects are not taken into account. Our analysis involves an innovative joint use of two software programs: VOSON, for the automated retrieval and processing of considerable quantities of hyperlink data, and LPNet, for the statistical modeling of social network data. Together, VOSON and LPNet enable new and unique research into social networks in the online world, and our paper highlights the importance of complementary research tools for social science research into the web

Network Formation in the Political Blogosphere. An Application of Agent Based Simulation and e-Research Tools

The political blogosphere has recently been the focus of attention for social network analysis and applications of network and graph theory. In a recent paper, Adamic and Glance (2005) report differences between the linking behavior of politically conservative vs. politically liberal Web bloggers. We construct a simple agent-based network formation model which shows that one such difference, demonstrating what we term ‘political homophily’, can be generated by connecting the blogosphere to the underlying population distribution of political preferences. The model is implemented as a web service in the e-tool VOSON (Virtual Observatory for the Study of Online Networks), and both model and tool serve to define a natural environment for research into link formation behavior with large numbers of heterogeneous network participants.Network formation, Social network analysis, Blogosphere, VOSON, Agentbased simulation

Mapping the U.S. Political Blogosphere: Are Conservative Bloggers More Prominent?

Weblogs are now a key part of online culture, and social scientists are interested in characterising the networks formed by bloggers and measuring their extent and impact in areas such as politics. However, researchers wishing to conduct quantitative social science analysis of the blogging phenomenon are faced with the challenge of using new methods of data collection and analysis largely derived from fields outside of the social sciences, such as the information sciences. This paper presents an overview of one new approach for collecting and analysing weblog data, and illustrates this approach in the context of a preliminary quantitative analysis of online networks formed by a sample of North-American “A-list” political bloggers. There are two aims to this paper. First is to assess (using dfferent data and methods) the conclusion of Adamic and Glance (2005) that there are significant dfferences in the behaviour of liberal and conservative bloggers, with the latter forming more dense patterns of linkages. We find broad support for this conclusion, and empirically assess the implications of differences in conservative/liberal linking behaviour for the online visibility of different political messages or ideologies. The second aim is to highlight the role of web mining and data visualisation in the analysis of weblogs, and the opportunities and challenges inherent in this new field of research

Hyperlinks and networked communication: A comparative study of political parties online

This study analyses hyperlink data from over 100 political parties in six countries to show how political actors are using links to engage in a new form of 'networked communication' to promote themselves to an online audience. We specify three types of n

Networks of Communities and Communities of Networks in Online Government

Over the past decade the World Wide Web has become a core platform for the electronic operation of government. Yet the shape and nature of government presence on the Web and the online community in which it resides remains poorly understood and under-theorised. This paper analyses large-scale web crawling data that map the hyperlink network structure between government websites and the broader Web ecology in the UK. In particular, it reports the ‘communities’ of websites within a hyperlink network of over 19,000 websites and over 135,000 hyperlinks derived from 75 key UK government seed sites at national, regional (i.e. Scotland and Wales) and local government levels. Website communities were derived by utilising Infomap, a state-of-the-art community detection algorithm that operates on the principle that flows of information in complex networks reveals community structure. Identifying and analysing online communities in which government websites reside provides insights in how hyperlink communities are arranged, that is, their emergent organizing principal and the importance of government in these online communities. It is hypothesized that online ‘communities’ can occur around different policy topics (such as health, education or policing), or along institutional or jurisdictional boundaries (such as England, Scotland and Wales). Using this novel approach this paper demonstrates that communities emerge on both axes, and that social media and government portals are some of the most significant communities based on information flows. This research provides foundational knowledge about the role of government websites in the World Wide Web, the emergent online associations, and the changing dynamic of state information in the twenty-first century. It points to strategies for developing government Web presence in networks that matter