What is social network analysis? How does it study social relations and network structure?

Social network analysis is a method to study social relations and network structure. It focuses on the relationship between individuals, not individuals themselves, because our behaviors, preferences and opportunities are often shaped by our social networks. Social network analysis usually involves collecting relational data, such as the relationship between people, organizations or individuals and objects, and then using specialized software and technology to analyze these data to show the network structure and relational model.

Social network analysis usually constructs a network through nodes (individuals or organizations) and edges (their connections or relationships). These nodes and edges can represent people's socialization, cooperation between organizations or any other form of connection. Social network analysis can be used to identify the center and important people in the group, predict the spread of information, and diagnose the weakness and loss of the network.

In a word, social network analysis is a method to study individuals and society from the perspective of relationship and network, which helps us to understand the mechanism behind human behavior and social phenomena.