Foreword

Social networks, also referred to as social media, include many internet-based tools that help people to comprehend, interact, engage and collaborate with each other. Several social networking platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, and many Web based communities e.g. Book Crossing, are heavily being used nowadays in professional life and in some decision making processes.

By its nature, social networking is interactive. You can express your feedback and share your experiences with anyone that you select and vice versa. Many businesses recognize the importance of the quality of the provided end-services, but when it comes to embracing the principles of openness and interaction that social networking enables, they may hesitate. After all, there may be just as much unfavorable feedback as there is favorable feedback out there. However, it’s the combination of both the positive and the negative that can truly empower organizations to make meaningful changes to enhance the quality of services. Social networks certainly make listening easier, but it’s the collection of data and the actions that organizations take that build enduring relationships with customers [Karen Quintos].

Social networks operate on several levels, from individuals, families, and groups up to the level of nations, and play a critical role in determining the way problems are handled, organizations are run, and the degree to which individuals achieve their goals. Social network theory maps these relationships between individual actors. Though relatively new on the scene it has become very influential across the social sciences and became a powerful methodological tool alongside statistics.

Assuming no prior knowledge of quantitative sociology, this book presents the key ideas in context through examples and case studies. Using a structured approach to understanding work in this area, Drs. Al-Taie and Kadry suggest further reading and online sources so readers can develop their knowledge and skills to become practitioners of this research area. The authors show how we can practically analyze an on-line community, from different sides, using techniques of social network analysis and learn how to extract the main features of that network.

This reference provides a broad overview on the problem of Social Network Analysis with an extensive implementation to a large-scale online network using Pajek. The analysis deals with a well-known Web-based community that is 'Book Crossing'.

The book is intended for students and non-specialist readers who want to learn the basics and the applications of social network analysis and not its mathematical properties. The book can also be an enriching source for researchers and practitioners aiming at understanding how the process of large-scale network analysis goes on by providing them with a set of useful techniques that have been developed in the last few years.

Aziz M. Barbar
Dean, Faculty of Arts & Sciences
University Professor and Director of the Cell
American University of Science and Technology
Beirut, Lebanon