The Role of Social Networks in Identifying Terrorist Activities

The August 2006 issue of Popular Science features a social network developed by David Krackhardt, Professor of Organizations at the Heinz Tepper Schools at Carnegie Mellon.

Data mining techniques are used to preempt terror networks.  To determine the importance of roles of group members, investigators measure connectedness, betweenness, and closeness, plotting people as nodes within networks.

Krackhardt's research focuses on how theoretical insights and methodological innovations of network analysis can enhance our understanding of how organizations function. He pioneered the concept of "cognitive social structures."