SOCY2166/SOCY6066 Social Science of the Internet (ANU, Winter 2024)
Assessment 2 – SNA problem set & research note (20 marks, 30% of final grade).

Word limit (excluding tables & references, but including footnotes):
SOCY2166: 1700 words
SOCY6066: 2100 words
Note: ANU policy allows for 10% buffer. If you go over this, you will lose marks. Keep your answers short - dot points are fine, as long as clearly written.

Due: 11.59pm Monday 19 August (submit via Wattle)

Remember: This is NOT a group assessment. You must work on this assignment by yourself!

Note: For some questions, SOCY2166 students are given a choice of what question you answer. In such a situation, make sure you do NOT answer both questions, as I will mark the first answered question and you will NOT “get extra marks” for answering both.

Please do NOT include question text in your answer as it makes harder to estimate word count. I expect you to clearly indicate what question you are answering only by using the question labels i.e. 1(a), 1(b) etc. If you include question text, I will return the assignment to you for fixing and resubmission.

Question 1: Studying the adoption of a teaching-related innovation by ANU academics (Total: 14 marks)

Imagine you are working in a team that is analysing data on the adoption by ANU academics of a teaching-related innovation. The specifics of the innovation are not important but you know that the decision whether to adopt the innovation is significant i.e. an academic might waste significant time and lose academic reputation if they adopt the innovation and if it is a failure (e.g. does not help the academic and students).

You have access to a dataset where academics were surveyed and the following data were collected:

· Node attribute data:

◦ Academic discipline (HASS, STEM)

◦ Innovation adoption (non-adopter, adopter)

· Edge data: A tie between academics i and j indicated that they both consider each other to be a “significant discussion partner” i.e. someone they discuss work matters with

The survey data can be represented by an undirected network and you have been provided with the following data:

Node data

Edge data

Answer ALL of the following:

1(a) [2 marks]
Represent this network as an adjacency matrix, and as a sociogram (network visualisation), with node size proportional to degree, and node shape and colour reflecting the two node attributes.

Note: For the sociogram I recommend you use the “drawing” tool in your wordprocessor or else you can use a free vector graphics editor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_vector_graphics_editors) such as Inkscape. But note that I am not looking for a fancy looking diagram! It is even fine if you want to draw the sociogram by hand and then scan it or photograph it and embed it into your word document. All I care about is that it is accurate and that you have made an effort to position the nodes so the network visualisation conveys useful information.

1(b) [2 mark]
Calculate and interpret the following node-level and network-level metrics: degree centrality, network size, network density, network inclusiveness.

1(c) [1 marks]
Provide the edgelist and the network visualisation (sociogram) for the 2.0 degree egonet for the following nodes: F and D.

1(d) [3 marks]
Calculate and interpret betweenness centrality for node G. Without calculating betweenness centrality for these nodes, do you think academic D or academic J will have higher betweenness centrality? Explain your answer, demonstrating an intuitive understanding of how betweenness centrality is calculated.

1(e) [3 marks]

Calculate and interpret the following measures for the discipline attribute: homogeneity index, homophily index. In your answer, make sure you clearly explain the difference between assortativity and homophily.

1(f) [3 marks]

In the following pairs of nodes, one node is designated ego and the other is the alter:

F (ego), H (alter)

D (ego), I (alter)

These four nodes have all adopted the innovation.

For each pair of nodes, use the concepts social influence and structural equivalence to provide an explanation as to why ego has adopted the innovation. Your answer should demonstrate an intuitive understanding of these two concepts.

Question 2: Research note on social media platform (Total: 6 marks)

Imagine you are conducting network research using the social news site Reddit (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reddit) and you have constructed the following networks:

· Network 1: nodes – Reddit users, edges – an edge from user i to j indicates i replied to j in a subreddit thread

· Network 2: nodes – comments in Reddit threads, edges – an edge from comment i to j indicates i is a reply to j

· Network 3: nodes Reddit users, edges – an edge between user i and j indicates i follows j and j follows i

· Network 4: nodes – subreddits, edges – an edge between subreddit i and j indicates the number of users who posted comments in threads in both i and j

· Network 5: nodes – users, edges – an edge between user i and j indicates that both i and j wrote comments in the same thread

With reference to what you have learned in the course, answer the following questions (and provide explanations for your answers).

2(a) [3 marks]

Allocate each of the 5 networks above to one of the four quadrants in the Ackland-Zhu typology of online networks. Explain why you have allocated each network to a quadrant, demonstrating your understanding of the typology. Note: you must allocate networks to a minimum of 3 quadrants.

2(b) [3 marks]

Choose a particular subreddit (this can be any subreddit that is interesting to you). Give a brief explanation of what the purpose of the subreddit is. Imagine you have collected data from the subreddit and you have constructed Network 3 above.

Answer either Part A or Part B. Do NOT answer both questions, as I will mark the first answered question and you will NOT “get extra marks” for answering both.

Part A. Discuss whether you think the network represents an online group, and/or an online community, and/or an online social network? Note that your answer must demonstrate understanding of all three concepts.

Part B. Discuss what online social norms may exist for users in the subreddit you have chosen. Are these norms different from platform affordances? If so, why? Your answer should demonstrate an understanding of  these two concepts.

[End of questions]