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Identifying Node Role in Social Network Based on Multiple Indicators

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  • Shaobin Huang
  • Tianyang Lv
  • Xizhe Zhang
  • Yange Yang
  • Weimin Zheng
  • Chao Wen

Abstract

It is a classic topic of social network analysis to evaluate the importance of nodes and identify the node that takes on the role of core or bridge in a network. Because a single indicator is not sufficient to analyze multiple characteristics of a node, it is a natural solution to apply multiple indicators that should be selected carefully. An intuitive idea is to select some indicators with weak correlations to efficiently assess different characteristics of a node. However, this paper shows that it is much better to select the indicators with strong correlations. Because indicator correlation is based on the statistical analysis of a large number of nodes, the particularity of an important node will be outlined if its indicator relationship doesn't comply with the statistical correlation. Therefore, the paper selects the multiple indicators including degree, ego-betweenness centrality and eigenvector centrality to evaluate the importance and the role of a node. The importance of a node is equal to the normalized sum of its three indicators. A candidate for core or bridge is selected from the great degree nodes or the nodes with great ego-betweenness centrality respectively. Then, the role of a candidate is determined according to the difference between its indicators' relationship with the statistical correlation of the overall network. Based on 18 real networks and 3 kinds of model networks, the experimental results show that the proposed methods perform quite well in evaluating the importance of nodes and in identifying the node role.

Suggested Citation

  • Shaobin Huang & Tianyang Lv & Xizhe Zhang & Yange Yang & Weimin Zheng & Chao Wen, 2014. "Identifying Node Role in Social Network Based on Multiple Indicators," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(8), pages 1-16, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0103733
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103733
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    Cited by:

    1. Jiang, Syuan-Yi, 2022. "Transition and innovation ecosystem – investigating technologies, focal actors, and institution in eHealth innovations," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    2. Shakibian, Hadi & Charkari, Nasrollah Moghadam, 2018. "Statistical similarity measures for link prediction in heterogeneous complex networks," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 501(C), pages 248-263.
    3. Cirunay, Michelle T. & Batac, Rene C., 2023. "Evolution of the periphery of a self-organized road network," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 617(C).
    4. Miyoung Chong & Hae Jung Maria Kim, 2020. "Social roles and structural signatures of top influentials in the #prayforparis Twitter network," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 315-333, February.

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