ABSTRACT
The network concepts of density, structural holes, strength of ties, centrality, and distance are briefly explained with visual examples and some mathematical representations. Small world networks and polarization are discussed and are of particular interest when examining online social media groups. Using a simple three-node network group, the relationship between a network configuration and its adjacency matrix is examined. To conclude the chapter, an example of a directional sociogram and its accompanying adjacency matrix for a sports club is given to pave the way toward practical social network analysis applications. The centrality and distance concepts become increasingly important when discussing large populations such as cities or political groups. Small world networks are perhaps the most commonly discussed and analyzed due to both their limited scope and realistic inter-connectivity. An adjacency matrix can be formed from the simple social network structure to show the mathematical relationships between pair of the networked group.
