Networking networkers: An initial exploration of the patterns of collaboration among the members of a new community in political science

Abstract

A number of indicators signal a growing interest in the study of political phenomena from a network perspective in the United States, such as the growing number of published articles with a network focus in the discipline's top-tier journals and the creation of a new Political Networks section of the APSA in 2008. Yet another notable indicator is the organization of a new annual conference financially supported by the National Science Foundation - the Political Networks conference. The meeting not only brings together scholars who study networks in political science, but also fosters collaboration across disciplines by encouraging participation of non - political scientists with the goal of achieving more comprehensive answers to questions that cannot be properly answered within the confines of individual disciplines. © Copyright American Political Science Association 2011.