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Using social network analysis to complete literature reviews: a new systematic approach for independent researchers to detect and interpret prominent research programs within large collections of relevant literature

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Type

Article

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Authors

Cowhitt, T 
Butler, T 

Abstract

Literature reviews are required at early stages of a traditional research progression. Many systematic approaches help researchers identify relevant literature. However, there is far less support for interpreting large collections of references. Understanding the evolution of knowledge within a discipline requires an awareness of the collaborative networks from which significant advances originate. Unfortunately, this relational awareness is only acquired after years of professional experience. Therefore, early-career researchers are at a fundamental disadvantage when conducting literature reviews. Social Network Analysis (SNA) can make the interpretation of large collections of literature more manageable. This paper provides a method for generating a co-authorship network from reference lists. The partition of the co-authorship network into communities provides a reviewer with direction to organise literature into meaningful groups. The interpretation of seemingly disparate and entangled research programs is far more manageable when interpreting smaller collections of highly relevant literature.

Description

Keywords

Literature review, systematic review, social network analysis, bibliometrics, citation networks, co-authorship networks

Journal Title

International Journal of Social Research Methodology

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1364-5579
1464-5300

Volume Title

23

Publisher

Informa UK Limited

Rights

All rights reserved