A Systematic Review of Social Network Analysis Use within Social Work Research

Background: Social network analysis (SNA) exists as a unique research perspective that assumes relationships between actors (e.g., an individual or an organization) are elements worthy of study. In contrast with much existing social science research, individuals or their attributes are not the primary unit of study within SNA. Rather, it is the network of relations between actors and the structures that arise from these relations that serve as the key units of study. By providing a different vantage point from which to understand relationships within the social environment, SNA offers unique insights that can benefit social work research. To gain an understanding of SNA use within social work, this review had two objectives: (1) to explore the extent to which SNA is utilized within social work research, and (2) to synthesize the findings on its use.

Methods: Using the Cochrane Collaboration guidelines, this review focused on identifying published studies within social work-relevant research between January 1990 and March 2015. Through documented search processes, data relevant to the use of SNA in the social work research base was extracted and synthesized. Social work-relevant research was operationally defined as research published within social work journals, or articles that concerned a marginalized population or an organization connected to a social work practice area. Practice areas were operationally defined as: child welfare/youth services, school social work, counseling for couples/families/groups, physical health, mental health, addiction/substance abuse, interpersonal violence, gerontology, social work administration/supervision, community organizing, advocacy on behalf of marginalized populations, and community partnerships/organizational capacity building. Additional inclusion criteria included articles that: (1) provided clear indication of the study’s use of SNA, (2) were conducted within the United States, and (3) were published in English. Dissertations and studies that lacked inclusion of network visual representation were excluded.

Results: Sixteen studies met the established inclusion/exclusion criteria. None of the reviewed articles were published in social work journals. While limited in overall use, SNA was documented across a range of social work practice areas. Greater use was found in research focused on community partnerships and HIV prevention. The majority of studies used individuals as the actors within the analysis, were quantitative, focused on whole networks, and used nomination lists generated by subjects to gather data. Researchers found SNA to be valuable to understand intervention dynamics and delivery, to evaluate group interventions, and to comprehend organizational change, communication and collaboration. Further benefits of SNA noted by multiple researchers were its relative ease of use, inexpensiveness, and its ability to provide network visual representations.

Implications: The results of this systematic review suggest that despite its potential value to multiple types of social work research, SNA has not been a widely adopted analytical method within the discipline. Support for the effective use of SNA could come from a greater emphasis on conducting SNA and its applications. Schools of social work, social work journals, and research-based conferences frequented by social work scholars can all increase education on how SNA might be utilized to inform the breadth of social work research and practice.