Mined Individuals in Large Networks

Mined Individuals in Large Networks presents an overview of one century of research analyzing the growth of networks in our individualist societies, including methods from computer science to address questions within social sciences. The book shows how, with huge data sets, it is possible to gather vast amounts of information on individuals from large scale and social networks.

At stake is the ability for the citizens to keep a grip on the social changes evolving around networking. The public concern about massive online surveillance shows the need for tools and methods that would not be only in the hands of some powerful happy few. Now that social network analysis is done by more computer scientists than social scientists, it is essential to remember the social implications of algorithms when they are applied to human beings.

• Offers an interdisciplinary perspective of mathematical and computational approaches in the use of large and local networks
• Bridges the gap between mathematical, computational, and sociological studies on information use and communication tools
• Contains a chronological review of literature from across these disciplines, to present a comparison of their impact on society
• Demonstrates how, with huge data sets, it is possible to gather vast amounts of information on individuals from large scale and social networks