Question-order effects in social network name generators

James E. Pustejovsky; James P. Spillane

doi:10.1016/j.socnet.2009.06.001

Question-order effects in social network name generators

James E. Pustejovsky^*, James P. Spillane

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Education and Social Policy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

71 Scopus citations

Abstract

Social network surveys are an important tool for empirical research in a variety of fields, including the study of social capital and the evaluation of educational and social policy. A growing body of methodological research sheds light on the validity and reliability of social network survey data regarding a single relation, but much less attention has been paid to the measurement of multiplex networks and the validity of comparisons among criterion relations. In this paper, we identify ways that surveys designed to collect multiplex social network data might be vulnerable to question-order effects. We then test several hypotheses using a split-ballot experiment embedded in an online multiple name generator survey of teachers' advice networks, collected for a study of complete networks. We conclude by discussing implications for the design of multiple name generator social network surveys.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	221-229
Number of pages	9
Journal	Social Networks
Volume	31
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2009.06.001
State	Published - Oct 2009

Funding

An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 28th annual International Sunbelt Social Network Conference, January 22–28, 2008 in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Work on this project is supported by the Distributed Leadership Studies ( http://www.distributedleadership.org ), funded by research grants from the National Science Foundation (RETA Grant EHR-0412510), with support from Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy and Institute for Policy Research. We thank Michael Lach, Gina Grant, Bill Suttles, Ruth Heaton, and Jim Lewis for their assistance with data collection, and Ken Frank for many helpful comments on our analysis. We also gratefully acknowledge the helpful feedback we received from two anonymous reviewers, and the dedicated support of our research team, especially Enrique Orlina, Virginia Pitts, Cindy Sigal, Bijou Hunt, and Cassandra Chen. All opinions and conclusions expressed in this paper are our own and do not reflect the views of any funding agency.

Keywords

Reliability
Social network name generators
Survey design

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Anthropology
Sociology and Political Science
General Social Sciences
General Psychology

Access to Document

10.1016/j.socnet.2009.06.001

Cite this

@article{c979b1cdf3c14b1f9e2fa4d2a4286c16,

title = "Question-order effects in social network name generators",

abstract = "Social network surveys are an important tool for empirical research in a variety of fields, including the study of social capital and the evaluation of educational and social policy. A growing body of methodological research sheds light on the validity and reliability of social network survey data regarding a single relation, but much less attention has been paid to the measurement of multiplex networks and the validity of comparisons among criterion relations. In this paper, we identify ways that surveys designed to collect multiplex social network data might be vulnerable to question-order effects. We then test several hypotheses using a split-ballot experiment embedded in an online multiple name generator survey of teachers' advice networks, collected for a study of complete networks. We conclude by discussing implications for the design of multiple name generator social network surveys.",

keywords = "Reliability, Social network name generators, Survey design",

author = "Pustejovsky, {James E.} and Spillane, {James P.}",

note = "Funding Information: An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 28th annual International Sunbelt Social Network Conference, January 22–28, 2008 in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Work on this project is supported by the Distributed Leadership Studies ( http://www.distributedleadership.org ), funded by research grants from the National Science Foundation (RETA Grant EHR-0412510), with support from Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy and Institute for Policy Research. We thank Michael Lach, Gina Grant, Bill Suttles, Ruth Heaton, and Jim Lewis for their assistance with data collection, and Ken Frank for many helpful comments on our analysis. We also gratefully acknowledge the helpful feedback we received from two anonymous reviewers, and the dedicated support of our research team, especially Enrique Orlina, Virginia Pitts, Cindy Sigal, Bijou Hunt, and Cassandra Chen. All opinions and conclusions expressed in this paper are our own and do not reflect the views of any funding agency. ",

year = "2009",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1016/j.socnet.2009.06.001",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "31",

pages = "221--229",

journal = "Social Networks",

issn = "0378-8733",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Question-order effects in social network name generators

AU - Pustejovsky, James E.

AU - Spillane, James P.

N1 - Funding Information: An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 28th annual International Sunbelt Social Network Conference, January 22–28, 2008 in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Work on this project is supported by the Distributed Leadership Studies ( http://www.distributedleadership.org ), funded by research grants from the National Science Foundation (RETA Grant EHR-0412510), with support from Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy and Institute for Policy Research. We thank Michael Lach, Gina Grant, Bill Suttles, Ruth Heaton, and Jim Lewis for their assistance with data collection, and Ken Frank for many helpful comments on our analysis. We also gratefully acknowledge the helpful feedback we received from two anonymous reviewers, and the dedicated support of our research team, especially Enrique Orlina, Virginia Pitts, Cindy Sigal, Bijou Hunt, and Cassandra Chen. All opinions and conclusions expressed in this paper are our own and do not reflect the views of any funding agency.

PY - 2009/10

Y1 - 2009/10

N2 - Social network surveys are an important tool for empirical research in a variety of fields, including the study of social capital and the evaluation of educational and social policy. A growing body of methodological research sheds light on the validity and reliability of social network survey data regarding a single relation, but much less attention has been paid to the measurement of multiplex networks and the validity of comparisons among criterion relations. In this paper, we identify ways that surveys designed to collect multiplex social network data might be vulnerable to question-order effects. We then test several hypotheses using a split-ballot experiment embedded in an online multiple name generator survey of teachers' advice networks, collected for a study of complete networks. We conclude by discussing implications for the design of multiple name generator social network surveys.

AB - Social network surveys are an important tool for empirical research in a variety of fields, including the study of social capital and the evaluation of educational and social policy. A growing body of methodological research sheds light on the validity and reliability of social network survey data regarding a single relation, but much less attention has been paid to the measurement of multiplex networks and the validity of comparisons among criterion relations. In this paper, we identify ways that surveys designed to collect multiplex social network data might be vulnerable to question-order effects. We then test several hypotheses using a split-ballot experiment embedded in an online multiple name generator survey of teachers' advice networks, collected for a study of complete networks. We conclude by discussing implications for the design of multiple name generator social network surveys.

KW - Reliability

KW - Social network name generators

KW - Survey design

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=69249205368&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=69249205368&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.socnet.2009.06.001

DO - 10.1016/j.socnet.2009.06.001

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:69249205368

SN - 0378-8733

VL - 31

SP - 221

EP - 229

JO - Social Networks

JF - Social Networks

IS - 4

ER -

Question-order effects in social network name generators

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this