Network Science Research
We’ve done a lot of research and written many papers over our decades of time studying networks. Topics range from network governance and communication to network trust and strategies. Here are all our peer-reviewed articles and other scientific papers free to read and use for non-commercial purposes. Check back for new network science research – we’re always publishing new findings and sharing new papers!
Community Carrying Capacity to Address Health System Referrals: A Networked Approach
Visible Network Labs is constantly conducting new research into networks, including social connectedness, inter-organizational collaboration, cross-sector partnership, and community and public health. This new paper was introduced at the 2020 Journal of Health & Human Services Administration Symposium. As evidence emerges that health outcomes are
Health System Patient Referrals for Unmet Social Needs: Exploring the Capacity of Community-Based Organizations to Absorb Them
We conducted this research to better understand the capacity of community organizations to abosrb health system patient referrals for unmet social needs. This study examines the perspectives, resources, role and services provided by community-based organisations (CBOs) in response to the integration of health and social
Using Social Network Analysis to Understand the Perceived Role and Influence of Foundations
In this research study (“Using Social Network Analysis to Understand the Perceived Role and Influence of Foundations”) we used social network analysis and the PARTNER Platform to better understand how foundations are perceived by their partners and grantees. Collaboration between foundations and other organizations is
Partnerships for Recovery Across The Sectors (PRACTIS) Toolkit
This toolkit demonstrates how to use the PARTNER platform for coordinating and assessing recovery networks. Based on a partnership between VNL, RAND, and the NY State Health Department, the use case is focused on response networks after Hurricane Sandy. The RAND Corporation, in partnership with
Evaluating Networks Using PARTNER: A Social Network Evaluation Tool
Today, cross-sector partners are working together and utilizing a systems approach to solve and tackle complex social problems facing their communities. While building cross-sector organizational networks has become a best practice in solving complex problems, there is little guidance or evidence on how it can
Structural Holes and Networks
The theory of structural holes and networks suggests that intentional leaving gaps between members of a network provides certain key advantages. Tightly interconnected networks are full of redundant information – you don’t necessarily need to actively work with everything in a coalition to fully leverage
The Strength of Weak Ties
The Strength of Weak Ties was one of the most important network science theories in existence. In 1973, Mark Granovetter wrote his landmark paper studying how people get jobs through their personal networks. Contrary to expectations, Mark found that people typically get new jobs through
Implications of Network Structure on Public Health Collaboratives
Interorganizational collaboration is an essential function of public health agencies. These partnerships form social networks that involve diverse types of partners and varying levels of interaction. Such collaborations are widely accepted and encouraged, yet very little comparative research exists on how public health partnerships develop
Public Health, Mental Health & Primary Care Differences in Urban and Rural Counties in a System of Care for Children with Special Healthcare Needs
Background: Collaboration among partners in a health system of care (SOC) has many benefits. In large and complex systems, the role of public health, mental health, and primary care play critical roles in the provision of care. How these systems vary across urban and rural
Hospital Interaction and Investment in Public Health Systems: A Conceptual Study
Background: Health care reform has resulted in changes throughout the health system, including the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and IRS requirements that nonprofit hospitals conduct community health needs assessments and develop implementation plans to guide greater investment in their respective communities. This has led to
How to Identify Success Among Networks that Promote Active Living
Objectives. We evaluated organization- and network-level factors that influence organizations’ perceived success. This is important for managing interorganizational networks, which can mobilize communities to address complex health issues such as physical activity, and for achieving change. Methods. In 2011, we used structured interview and network
Contributions of Health Care Coalitions to Preparedness and Resilience: Perspectives From Hospital Preparedness Program and Health Care Preparedness Coalitions
Objective: The purpose of this article was to describe how the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) and other health care coalitions conceptualize and measure progress or success and to identify strategies to improve coalition success and address known barriers to success. Methods: We conducted a structured
Patterns in PARTNERing across Public Health Collaboratives
Abstract: Inter-organizational networks represent one of the most promising practice-based approaches in public health as a way to attain resources, share knowledge, and, in turn, improve population health outcomes. However, the interdependencies and effectiveness related to the structure, management, and costs of these networks represents
Systems of Care for Children with Special Healthcare Needs: A Patient-Centered Approach to Evaluate Public Health Roles
Abstract: Despite the apparent success that local and state health departments have had integrating a public health approach to provide programs and services for families with children who have complex health needs, there continues to be mixed results in terms of satisfaction and degree of
Network analysis of RE-AIM framework: chronology of the field and the connectivity of its contributors
The reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance (RE-AIM) framework has been widely used for translational research. We used social network analysis (SNA) to explore how innovative research frameworks, such as RE-AIM, have diffused over time in academic literature. A structured literature review was conducted on
The Influence of Teaching Methodology on Student Social Interaction
In this paper, we explore the effects of various teaching methodologies on the social interactions reported by university students in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver. Specifically, we will answer the question: How do different teaching methodologies affect the formation
Analysis of Network Characteristics and Quality of Interactions Among Public Health Collaboratives
While the benefits of collaboration have become widely accepted and the practice of collaboration is growing within the public health system, a paucity of research exists that examines factors and mechanisms related to effective collaboration between public health and their partner organizations. The purpose of
A Systemic Review of Collaboration and Network Research in the Public Affairs Literature
In public health departments across America, teams are building partnerships and networks in their communities to help address the social determinants of health and other upstream community health factors. However, there’s very little in the literature that provides a data-based perspective on network best practices
Theory of Collaborative Policy Networks: Identifying Structural Tendencies
Support for the “democratization of the policy sciences” has led to the development of a number of frameworks and theories to enhance the normative, multidisciplinary approach to policy analysis. However, this approach has been challenged for failing to produce the objective empirical and normative standards
Growth of Partnerships for Patient Safety: A Study of Practice Adoption
In this paper, our team tried to better understand the Growth of Partnerships for Patient Safety, specifically considering their impact on patient safety practice adoption rates. Read the full paper further below and download it for any non-commercial purposes. Objectives. To document the numbers and
Social Network Analysis for Disasters: Issues and Insights Prompted by Post-Katrina Research
It’s long been recognized that social capital and networks play an important role in communities during disaster recovery. This paper sought to better understand the ways we can use social network analysis for disasters to understand the link between social networks and disaster relief and
Strategies to improve global influenza surveillance: A decision tool for policymakers
Background: Global pandemic influenza preparedness relies heavily on public health surveillance, but it is unclear that current surveillance fully meets pandemic preparedness needs. Methods: We first developed a conceptual framework to help systematically identify strategies to improve the detection of an early case or cluster
Nonprofit Resource Contribution and Mission Alignment in Partnerships
As collaborative networks become an increasingly common tool for public and non-profit managers to reach their goals, we conducted research that explores the unique contributions and attributes of nonprofit partners in these networks. Nonprofit Resource Contribution and Mission Alignment in Partnerships. Below is the abstract for the
Systems of Care for Children with Special Needs – Strengthening Health Care Systems
Current approaches to addressing the problems families face when navigating complex service systems on behalf of their children rely largely on state or nationally driven efforts around the development of systems of care (SOCs). However, operationalizing meaningful family involvement within SOCs remains a challenge, with
Data-Driven Management Strategies in Public Health Collaboratives
The objective of this article is to demonstrate a data-driven management approach to effectively implement quality improvement (QI) in public health collaboratives. Using a modeled simulation, this article utilizes network data to demonstrate strategic management approaches. Design: This article uses simulated data to demonstrate the
Increasing Community Level Social Capital: A Network Perspective on State-Society Synergy
“Can state–society synergy be created in the short run, or does it require historically deep institutional and normative foundations?” In other words, what role can an outside party—such as a government or state actor—play in constructing social capital when it is not a permanent fixture
Comparisons of Network Structures Across Public Health Collaboratives: New Perspectives on the “Silo Effect”
In a response to scarce public resources and the nature of complex intractable public health problems, there have been increased multiorganizational and multisector collaborations to address population needs. Building organizational capacity to better serve community public health and other public service needs is an important
Collaborative Performance as a Function of Network Members’ Perceptions of Success
Interorganizational networks are a common collaborative approach to tackle complex issues such as public health, national security, education, and poverty. While there is a consensus that networks are a viable approach to these issues, it is unclear what factors lead to effective collaborative performance. One
Dimensions of Connectivity in Public Health Collaboratives
A major challenge facing state and local public health agencies is how to partner with other organizations, agencies, and groups to collaboratively address goals in population health while effectively maximizing resource sharing of the partners involved. Today’s public health efforts require multiagency partnerships between both
Community Nonprofit Carrying Capacity of Nonprofits: A Network Perspective
Scholars have explored the idea of the determinants of the size of the nonprofit sector (called the community carrying capacity), as a linear relationship between supply of resources and the demand for nonprofit services. This in turn has fueled debate about whether there are too
Community Partnerships Addressing Community Resilience: A Network Evaluation
Community resilience has grown in importance in national disaster and recovery efforts, as have the number of community partnerships addressing community resilience. However, measurement of community resilience, particularly the content and quality of relationships aimed at improving resilience, is lacking. To address this gap, we
Institutional Factors and Processes in Interagency Collaboration: The Case of FEMA Corps
This article details the development and implementation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Corps program, a federal interagency partnership. We focus primarily on the factors and processes in interagency collaboration. While many federal agencies partner through fee-for-service arrangements and contracts, few contemporary examples of
Are Backbone Organizations Eroding the Norms that Make Networks Succeed?
Are these structures useful, not useful, or actually destructive? Each of the attempts at codification, it seems, comes with its own problems of misplaced priorities and blindness to contextual realities that are lying in wait to pounce on the best-laid plans. So it was with
Hospital Public Health Partnerships: Exploring Processes, Models, and Outcomes
Health care reform has resulted in changes throughout the health system, including the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirement that hospitals conduct community health needs assessments, taking into greater consideration the public health of their respective communities. This has led to growing strategies to develop partnerships
Social Capital & Health Care Access: A Systematic Review
There is a growing interest in community-level characteristics such as the relationship or link between social capital and health care access. To assess the rigor with which this construct has been empirically applied in research on health care access, a systematic review was conducted. A
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We follow a number of peer-reviewed journals to inform and advance our work. Here’s a list of some of the sources we recommend related to network science, public health, collaboration and social impact.
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