What Counts as a Weak Tie? A Comparison of Thresholding Techniques to Analyze Weighted Networks

• In Event: Network Analysis

Abstract

Networks helps us map patterns of communication. The nodes in social networks often represent social actors, and the ties represent interactions or relationships between them. The weight of the ties can give us further information about the strength of the communication exchange between two nodes. Analysis of these weighted networks can help us differentiate between strong and weak ties, and the different roles they play in processes like the diffusion of information. And yet, what counts as a weak tie? How do we define the weight threshold that allows us to distinguish ties in terms of their relative strength? This paper examines three approaches previously used in literature that have, so far, never been compared in a systematic manner. Our goal is to assess the impact that different thresholding rules have on network topology – and to determine which method offers the most appropriate filtering mechanism in different substantive contexts.

Authors

• Subhayan Mukerjee, Annenberg School for Communication, U of Pennsylvania

• Sandra Gonzalez-Bailon, U of Pennsylvania