Social Networks Research in Higher Education

Abstract

We review the literature on social networks research in higher education from an analytic and an empirical perspective. Analytically, we find a bifurcated literature: a faculty-focused side explores the mechanisms of collaborative network formation and its influence on productivity, while a separate, student-focused side investigates mechanisms leading to interracial connections and the peer influence of dorm-mates on student outcomes. Empirically, we document the several social science fields that generate much of the work in this area. While the number of papers in this area has grown, there is no recognizable research community. Rather, there are several distinct research foci, hailing from differing disciplinary traditions, each with their own styles of analysis. Underdeveloped is a line of work that studies the university system as a whole composed of multiple network actors (staff, parents, students, faculty, administrators) and a line of work that regards larger network actors like teams, departments, and universities.