sna {sna} | R Documentation

## Tools for Social Network Analysis

### Description

`sna` is a package containing a range of tools for social network analysis. Supported functionality includes node and graph-level indices, structural distance and covariance methods, structural equivalence detection, p* modeling, random graph generation, and 2D/3D network visualization (among other things).

### Details

Network data for `sna` routines can (except as noted otherwise) appear in any of the following forms:

- adjacency matrices (dimension N x N);
- arrays of adjacency matrices, aka "graph stacks" (dimension m x N x N);
- `network` objects; or
- lists of adjacency matrices/arrays and/or `network` objects.

Within the package documentation, the term "graph" is used generically to refer to any or all of the above (with multiple graphs being referred to as a "graph stack"). Note that usage of `network` objects requires that the network package be installed. (No additional packages are required for use of adjacency matrices/arrays or lists thereof.) In general, `sna` routines attempt to make intelligent decisions regarding the processing of multiple graphs, but common sense is always advised; certain functions, in particular, have more specific data requirements. Calling `sna` functions with inappropriate input data can produce "interesting" results.

To get started with `sna`, try obtaining viewing the list of available functions. This can be accomplished via the command `library(help=sna)`.

### Author(s)

Carter T. Butts buttsc@uci.edu

[Package sna version 1.1 Index]