New technologies now allow us to map the social networks and relationships at work in a community, making previously invisible connections visible. These maps can be used to help organizations understand who is working on the issues they care about, identify strong linkages and disconnects between groups, and build and strengthen the network of people and organizations working on an issue. No prior work in or knowledge of network development is required to attend this workshop.

This is a hands-on guide to extract and analyze a social graph (with NO programming). Using examples from Twitter, YouTube, Email, flickr, and participant submissions, we review the steps needed to take a network graph from collection through analysis and visualization to insight. Learn to tell stories about key people and groups with network visualizations. Participants will receive an introduction to social network analysis and NodeXL; be able to import network data; create a network map; and generate an actionable insight from a network map.

NodeXL allows one to generate network maps by importing data from MS Excel. NodeXL is compatible with MS Office 2007 and 2010 and Windows XP, Vista or 7. (NodeXL is not compatible with MS Office 2003 or Office 2008 for Mac.) Participants are encouraged to download NodeXL prior to the workshop and bring a laptop and data sets to workshop to use during the workshop. Download NodeXL and learn more information at http://nodexl.codeplex.com/

A continental breakfast will be provided; however participants will be responsible for purchasing a $1 Hartnell College parking day-pass to park in the college’s parking structure.

Presenter's Bio

Marc Smith is a sociologist specializing in the social organization of online communities and computer mediated interaction. He founded and managed the Community Technologies Group at Microsoft Research in Redmond, Washington and led the development of social media reporting and analysis tools for Telligent Systems. Smith co-founded the Social Media Research Foundation (http://www.smrfoundation.org/), a nonprofit devoted to open tools, data, and scholarship related to social media research. Smith is the co-author and editor of Analyzing Social Media Networks with NodeXL: Insights from a connected world, from Morgan-Kaufmann which is a guide to mapping connections created through computer-mediated interactions.