Understanding and Analysing Covert Networks

This is a short course on understanding and analysing covert networks, namely networks where collaborators on a project or members of an organisation are hidden to outsiders. These may be illegal (such as fraud, terrorism, tax evasion, corruption or trade in illegal drugs); or legal (such as corporate espionage, political campaigning or opposition research, or undercover journalism).

Researching and analysing covert networks is an important real-world application of social network analysis (SNA), which highlights how relationships, power and influence flow through connections within a network.

This half-day course, comprising mini-lectures and practical sessions, combines disciplinary approaches from sociology, criminology, political science, and quantitative social science, offering a holistic approach to understanding covert social and political networks.

On completion of this training event, attendees will be able to:

• Demonstrate critical engagement with key concepts in the study of social and political networks;
• Define and critically-assess network concepts such as social capital, homophily, centrality, clique, bonding, and bridging;
• Compile information on social ties from offline or online social networks;
• Use simple methods to create network diagrams and generate network measures;
• Assess whether particular network structures foster particular types of economic, social and political behaviour.

Please note that this training session will be delivered face-to-face only at the University of Sheffield and will not be recorded.

Places are limited. We therefore ask that you only book a ticket if you can guarantee your attendance.

Bookings will close at 9am on Wednesday February 19th.