Reference no: EM132299476

What is the degree of closure in your network? The density of your network reflects the degree of closure. Network density can be calculated in three simple steps.

Step 1: Create a simple matrix in which you list the names of the people in your network on both the horizontal and vertical axis. (this can be easily done in an Excel spreadsheet.) Then put an X in each box, indicating who knows whom in your network. Each X corresponds to a social tie in your network. Count the total number of Xs in your matrix. Let's assume X = 8.

Step 2: If your network contains 12 people (including yourself). N = 12. The maximum network density is calculated by the following formula: [N x (N-1)] /2. If your network size is 12, then your maximum network density is [12 x (12-1)] /2 = 66. This is the maximum number of ties in your network when everybody knows everybody.

Step 3: To calculate your actual network density, divide X by N: Network density = (X/N). In the example with eight ties in a network of 12 people, the network density is 0.67. The closer this number is to 1, the denser the network.