Lab - Part PREP - Network Data Collection via Surveys

Lab requirements

You need to have R (preferably a recent version) installed on a Linux, Windows or MacOS PC. You should have connected to Qualtrics via the RUG-MyUniversity access.

What this lab will teach you

We want to teach you a couple of things in this lab

How to think about integrated data collection
- i.e. network-specific data (relations)
- with individual-specific data (attributes)
How to implement this in a streamlined Qualtrics and R workflow
- by first designing a survey in Qualtrics
- collecting the data
- importing the data into R
Doing exploratory network analysis in R
- processing and exploring the data in a network-specific R-package such as igraph

Where this module fits into the overall course

modules so far have taught you…
- how networks can play a role in a diversity of mixed-methods research approaches in the form of, for example, …
  - textual data (documents’ relations and narratives as networks)
  - stakeholder interaction in environmental governance and co-management
this module aims to give you an idea of…
- how to implement your research ideas into a network-oriented data collection
- how to connect your data to simple network analysis workflows in R
- how via network data visualisation you can carry out first exploratory analysis of your data

Objectives

This lab is divided into three sub-sections (for better orientability), and in the separate sub-modules you will:

Task 1: Implement your research plan (and hypothesis into a Qualtrics survey) - Lab 20-2-A
Task 2: Import the collected data into R - Lab 20-2-B
Task 3: Develop first ideas for exploratory network analysis in R - Lab 20-2-C

(NB: Tasks 1 and 2 should be carried out as preparatory work before the lab session as far as possible, while task 3 will be carried out during the lab session if the class wishes so)

Moving on to first sub-lab 20-2-A

Please move on to the first sub-lab 20-2-A, where you will implement your research plan into a Qualtrics survey.