The book provides a comprehensive overview of the field, outlining both its theoretical basis and its key techniques. Drawing from the core ideas of points, lines and paths, John Scott builds a framework of network analysis that covers such measures as density, centrality, clustering, centralisation, and spatialisation. He identifies the various types of clique, component, and circle into which networks are formed, and he outlines an approach to socially structured positions within networks. A completely new chapter in this edition discusses recent work on network dynamics and methods for studying change over time. A final chapter discusses approaches to network visualisation.

This is an excellent resource for researchers across the social sciences and for students of social theory and research methods.