Network analysis is the study and interpretation of influences on, forms of, and outcomes from, patterns of relations among entities. The overall structure of a network, the relationships among the network members, and the location of a member within the network, are critical factors in understanding social behavior. They influence, among other things, access to resources, the distribution of social and organizational power, the spread of new ideas as well as diseases, career success and mobility, workplace diversity, job satisfaction, and even personal health and longevity.

The network approach has been applied to studying a wide range of topics, such as referrals among community helping agencies, overlaps in company boards of directors as part of antitrust investigations, changes in friendship among elementary school students, rumor diffusion in organizations, interactions among transients and regular patrons at late-night diners, citation patterns among members of scientific disciplines...