Statistical Social Network Analysis with R
Starts:
Finishes:
Venue:
Birkbeck Main Building, Malet Street
Statistical network analysis plays an integral role in data science across multiple disciplines such as social sciences, business, and management helping make decisions based on the interpretation of complex relational data structures. Statistical software tools (such as R) are essential to give the possibility to end users to analyse the complexity of relational data in many applied settings.
This hands-on workshop will provide participants with an overall understanding of statistical models for the analysis of relational data with application to real-world problems in social sciences.
The workshop is open to postgraduates, early career researchers and scientists from academia, industry and government agencies.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own data to work on.
Live demonstrations and social interactions between participants will be an important part of this workshop.
Programme Day 1 - Fundamental network concepts:
· Collection and organization of relational data, Visualisation, Network descriptives.
· Guest lecture: Alessandro Provetti.
Day 2 - Statistical modelling:
· Exponential random graph models (ERGMs), Model assessment, Model selection,
· Application and tips on working with real-world datasets.
· Guest lecture: Kerstin Sailer.
Day 3 - Advanced topics:
· Bayesian inference for ERGMs, Latent space network models, Case studies.
· Guest lecture: Nicky Zachariou
Organiser Isabella Gollini - Lecturer in Statistics - Birkbeck, University of London, UK
Instructors
Isabella Gollini, Lecturer in Statistics - Birkbeck, University of London, UK
Isabella Gollini is a lecturer in Statistics in the Department of Economics, Mathematics and Statistics at the Birkbeck, University of London, UK. Her research activity focuses on cutting-edge statistical topics in the area of statistical modelling and computational statistics. Isabella is the leader of the teaching team of Forwards: the R Foundation taskforce on women and under-represented groups, and she is the author of several R packages, including lvm4net for the analysis of latent variable models for network data using fast inferential procedures. Paola Zappa, Lecturer in Management - Maynooth University, Ireland
Paola Zappa is a lecturer in Management in the School of Business at Maynooth University, Ireland. Her current research interests lie in the dynamics of intra- and inter-organizational networks and in multilevel network theory of organizations. She has taught multiple workshops as well as organized several conference sessions on these topics. Alberto Caimo, Lecturer in Statistics - Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland
Alberto Caimo is a lecturer in Statistics in the School of Mathematical Sciences at the Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland. His current research activity concerns the development and implementation of statistical modelling and computational approaches for complex relational data in a wide variety of applications involving interdisciplinary collaborations. Alberto is the author of the R package Bergm for the analysis of Bayesian exponential random graph models.
Invited speakers
Alessandro Provetti, Director of Birkbeck Institute of Data Analytics, UK Kerstin Sailer, Reader in Social and Spatial Networks - The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, UK
Kerstin Sailer is Reader in Social and Spatial Networks at the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London. She investigates the impact of spatial design on people and social behaviours inside a range of buildings such as offices, laboratories, hospitals and schools. An architect by training, her research interests combine complex buildings, workplace environments and space usage with social networks, organisational theory and organisational behaviour. At the Bartlett she leads the module ‘Buildings, Organisations, Networks’ in the MSc ‘Space Syntax: Architecture and Cities’. She has co-founded the think-tank brainybirdz to advance scientific thinking in workplace design, and runs the blog http://spaceandorganisation.org. Nicky Zachariou, Data Scientist at Government Digital Service, UK
Nicky Zachariou is a Senior Data Scientist and Operational Researcher in the Better Use of Data team in the Government Digital Service, Cabinet Office. She is a mathematician by training and holds a PhD in Physics from Imperial College London, on Complex Systems and Networks Science. Nicky is the co-founder of Databeers London, a non-for-profit organisation that brings together people interested in data and their applications from Government, Academia, Industry and the Arts.
Contact name:
Laurie Mcrae Andrew