MCSN 2011 schedule
Note: in the following schedule, all reading assignments refer to ESNAP (available in the SUB bookstore, and also online) unless otherwise stated. Most of these readings are specified using the book's section numbers rather than page numbers. Click on dates for the day's outline (these are fluid, especially beforehand). Principal topics are in boldface.
Some optional readings are indicated in this table by reference to ESNAP chapters they complement. Wasserman and Faust contains more rigorous explanations of all the topics in ESNAP; I haven't marked these as optional readings, but feel free to refer to their Social Network Analysis: Methods and Applications as needed. Likewise, browse Hanneman and Riddle's Introduction to social network methods, which covers largely the same material as ESNAP but permuted (and using software that runs only on Windows machines).
ESNAP "questions" are generally due on Thursdays, along with a Web example illustrating chapter content - prepare this example as a Pajek network that you can share with the class. ESNAP "assignments" are generally due on Tuesdays. There are also a number of self-guided in-class group projects; you'll write them up and submit a summary. All submissions are via the Moodle.
Without an official doctor's note or evidence of family emergency, late work will not be accepted, nor will make-up quizzes be given.
| Thursday, 08-Sep-11 | Course introduction and overview. Bring your laptops and we'll install Pajek. |
| Tuesday, 13-Sep-11 | Social structure. Read Preface, p. 1, and sections 1.1 to 1.3.2. Graph theory exercise due. |
| Thursday, 15-Sep-11 | Read sections 1.3.3 to 1.5; hand in 1.6; come to class prepared with a Pajek example drawn from the Web, and illustrating chapter content. |
| Tuesday, 20-Sep-11 | Attributes and Relations. Read 2.1-2.4; hand in 1.7. |
| Thursday, 22-Sep-11 | Quiz. Read 2.5-2.7; hand in 2.8; come to class prepared with a Pajek example drawn from the Web, and illustrating chapter content. |
| Tuesday, 27-Sep-11 | Cohesive Subgroups. Read p. 59 and 3.1-3.4; hand in 2.9. |
| Thursday, 29-Sep-11 | Read 3.5-3.7; hand in 3.8; come to class prepared with a Pajek example drawn from the Web, and illustrating chapter content.. |
| Tuesday, 04-Oct-11 | Self-guided in-class project day: cohesive subgroups. |
| Thursday, 06-Oct-11 | Self-guided in-class project day: cohesive subgroups. |
| Tuesday, 11-Oct-11 | Sentiments and Friendship. Read 4.1-4.4; hand in 3.9 and self-guided project writeup. |
| Thursday, 13-Oct-11 | Quiz. Read 4.5-4.6; hand in 4.7; bring Web example. |
| Tuesday, 18-Oct-11 | Affiliations and 2-mode nets. Read 5.1-5.4; hand in 4.8 |
| Thursday, 20-Oct-11 | Read 5.5-5.6; hand in 5.7; bring Web example. |
| Tuesday, 25-Oct-11 | Centrality. Read p. 121, and Chapter 6.1-6.5; hand in 5.8 |
| Thursday, 27-Oct-11 | Hand in project proposal (4 paragraphs: Aim, Qs, hypotheses, methods) and 6.6; ; bring Web example. |
| Tuesday, 01-Nov-11 | Brokers and Bridges. Read 7.1-7.4; hand in 6.7. |
| Thursday, 03-Nov-11 | Quiz. Read 7.5-7.6; hand in 7.7; bring Web example. |
| Tuesday, 08-Nov-11 | Diffusion. Read 8.1-8.3; hand in 7.8 |
| Thursday, 10-Nov-11 | No class - Remembrance Day holiday. But read 8.4-8.5. |
| Tuesday, 15-Nov-11 | Prestige. Read p. 185, and 9.1-9.7; hand in 8.6, 8.7. |
| Thursday, 17-Nov-11 | Self-guided in-class project day: prestige; bring Web example. |
| Tuesday, 22-Nov-11 | Ranking. Read 10.1-10.6; hand in 9.8, 9.9. |
| Thursday, 24-Nov-11 | Student presentations; hand in 10.7, 10.8. |
| Tuesday, 29-Nov-11 | Student presentations. |
| Thursday, 01-Dec-11 | Self-guided in-class project day: composition. |
| Tuesday, 06-Dec-11 | Student presentations and performance. |
| Friday, 16-Dec-11 | Final papers due (hardcopy to 382 FAB, electronically to michaelf@ualberta.ca) |
