Doing Network Research: talks on research design, methods and theory

The LINKS Center for Social Network Analysis at the University of Kentucky, with the support of the SDA Bocconi Network Innovation Lab and the Organizations and Innovation group at University College London, hosted Doing Network Research: A Collection of Talks on Research Design, Methods, and Theory, a series of talks focused on conducting network research.

When: 14 May 2026
Where: online, via Zoom

Morning session, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EDT

Designing network experiments, Alessandro Iorio (Bocconi)

A focused discussion of how experimental approaches can advance the study of social networks, spanning both field and laboratory designs. It considered how experiments can strengthen causal inference, clarify theoretical arguments, and open new possibilities for studying network processes in more systematic ways. The discussion also highlighted key design choices, methodological tradeoffs, and emerging tools for designing, implementing, and analyzing experimental research in network settings.

Working with dyadic data, Pier Vittorio Mannucci (Bocconi)

A discussion of theoretical and practical issues when working with dyadic data, both in the field and in the lab. It considered how dyadic relationships are conceived and analyzed, and how dyadic interactions can be reproduced in a controlled lab environment, with a focus on the theoretical assumptions and methodological procedures needed to deal with dyads as opposed to individuals or groups.

Afternoon session, 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. EDT

Making a contribution to social network theory, Martin Kilduff (UCL School of Management)

Why we need social network theory, where network theory comes from, what makes a successful network theory, how to define the contribution in empirical and theoretical social network research, and how to conceptualize specific research papers in their opening paragraphs. The talk discussed the importance of a social network research program that brings together different studies to articulate and develop a theoretical contribution, and how to publish social network research in theory-demanding journals such as Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Review and Organization Science.