Social Network Analysis for assessing research team collaboration and implementation capacity

Social network analysis (SNA) is a method of understanding how interactions between individuals give rise to emergent behaviors that can be seen as large-scale patterns characterizing the system as a whole. This paper presents preliminary results from efforts to apply the concepts of SNA to state-wide research collaboration. This assessment is based on patterns of cross-institutional interaction, and the distribution of individuals occupying key network positions, determined by three common centrality measures, across institutions. Team capacity to leverage collaborative efforts and implement sustainable outcomes are assessed by comparing emergent patterns across different types of communication networks that may be indicative of an organization's capacity for collective action.