社会与信息网络

Typically, for analysing and modelling social phenomena, networks are a convenient framework that allows for the representation of the interconnectivity of individuals. These networks are often considered transmission structures for…

The outbreak of a pandemic, such as COVID-19, causes major health crises worldwide. Typical measures to contain the rapid spread usually include effective vaccination and strict interventions (Nature Human Behaviour, 2021). Motivated by…

Understanding the evolution of public opinion is crucial for informed decision-making in various domains, particularly public affairs. The rapid growth of social networks, such as Twitter (now rebranded as X), provides an unprecedented…

Social media users and inauthentic accounts, such as bots, may coordinate in promoting their topics. Such topics may give the impression that they are organically popular among the public, even though they are astroturfing campaigns that…

This paper investigates the behavior of Reddit users who relied on alternative mobile apps, such as Apollo and RiF, before and after their forced shutdown by Reddit on July 1, 2023. The announcement of the shutdown led many observers to…

Misinformation -- false or misleading information -- is considered a significant societal concern due to its associated "misinformation effects," such as political polarization, erosion of trust in institutions, problematic behavior, and…

Influence Maximization (IM), which aims to select a set of users from a social network to maximize the expected number of influenced users, is an evergreen hot research topic. Its research outcomes significantly impact real-world…

Given a graph $G$ and a seed node $v_s$, the objective of local graph clustering (LGC) is to identify a subgraph $C_s \in G$ (a.k.a. local cluster) surrounding $v_s$ in time roughly linear with the size of $C_s$. This approach yields…

Data analysts are essential in organizations, transforming raw data into insights that drive decision-making and strategy. This study explores how analysts' productivity evolves on a collaborative platform, focusing on two key learning…

Studying peer relationships is crucial in solving complex challenges underserved communities face and designing interventions. The effectiveness of such peer-based interventions relies on accurate network data regarding individual…

Background: Social determinants of health (SDoH) play a crucial role in influencing health outcomes, accounting for nearly 50% of modifiable health factors and bringing to light critical disparities among disadvantaged groups. Despite the…

Dynamic network embedding methods transform nodes in a dynamic network into low-dimensional vectors while preserving network characteristics, facilitating tasks such as node classification and community detection. Several embedding methods…

Sentiment analysis of textual content has become a well-established solution for analyzing social media data. However, with the rise of images and videos as primary modes of expression, more information on social media is conveyed visually.…

How can we capture the dynamics of deliberation in a debate? In an increasingly divided and misinformed world, understanding the relationship between who is arguing and what they are arguing about is becoming critical for fostering a…

Understanding the mechanisms behind opinion formation is crucial for gaining insight into the processes that shape political beliefs, cultural attitudes, consumer choices, and social movements. This work aims to explore a nuanced model that…

This paper describes the iterative use of service learning to develop, review, and improve computing-based artifacts. It is well-known that computing students benefit from service-learning experiences as do the community partners. It is…

Causal inference in networks should account for interference, which occurs when a unit's outcome is influenced by treatments or outcomes of peers. Heterogeneous peer influence (HPI) occurs when a unit's outcome is influenced differently by…

Technological progress in the last few decades has granted an increasing number of people access to social media platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. Consequently, the potential risks associated with these…

Tenet Media, a U.S.-based, right-wing media company, hired six established podcasters to create content related to U.S. politics and culture during the 2024 U.S. presidential election cycle. After publishing content on YouTube and Rumble…

While prior studies have examined the influence of information diffusion on epidemic dynamics, the role of affective polarisation--driven by digital media usage--remains less understood. This study introduces a mathematical framework to…