Tom Brughmans

Evaluating networks in archaeology: a citation network analysis of the
archaeological use of formal network methods

Supervisor: Professor Simon Keay

Abstract:

Methods and theories seem to fade in and out of fashion constantly. Some are lucky enough to find a large audience whilst others are quickly forgotten. But how does a new idea emerge in a discipline, where did it originate and how does it evolve in a new research context? The archaeological use of formal network methods forms a particularly suitable case to explore such academic processes. This paper will for the first time trace the academic traditions, network concepts, models and techniques that have been most influential to archaeologists. I
will do this by combining a close reading of published archaeological network applications with citation network analysis techniques, using a dataset of over 33,000 publications and 44,000 citations.

email: T.Brughmans@soton.ac.uk