ABSTRACT
Network analysis and similar material-semiotic modeling approaches offer powerful tools for investigating the circulation of agencies in technoscientific contexts. More an amalgam of approaches than a coordinated initiative, network analysis and material-semiotic modeling includes a wide variety of theories and methodologies designed to help analysts better understand the reciprocal interaction of humans and nonhumans. This chapter will provide an overview of the major theories, with special attention to cyborg theory, actor-network theory, the mangle, multiple ontologies, and intra-activity. The chapter will be organized synthetically, with sections addressing (1) the emergence of network analysis and material-semiotic modeling, (2) the principal explanatory insights of material-semiotic modeling approaches, and (3) advice on best practices for selecting which approach most suits a given project.
