How the 16th ANR-Lab Summer School 2025 went

On July 11, the 16th Summer School of the International Laboratory of Applied Network Research (ANR-Lab) titled "Applied Network Analysis: From Idea to Project Implementation" concluded. The school took place on the campus at Pokrovsky Boulevard and simultaneously online. Over the course of five days, the instructors showcased the possibilities of applying applied network analysis, from the initial idea to the implementation of a project in scientific or practical fields.

The main goal of the school, organized with the financial support of the Faculty of Social Sciences at HSE University, was to introduce participants to the methodology of social network analysis (SNA), including the basics of collecting, processing, analyzing, and visualizing network data, and to provide an understanding of research and applied projects that can be implemented using this methodology to address various challenges.

A total of 48 participants took part in the school: 18 attended in person and 30 participated online. The participants came from a wide range of locations, including Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Yaroslavl, Rostov-on-Don, Orenburg, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk, Tomsk, as well as representatives from Moldova and China!

On the first day of school, the head of ANR-Lab, Darya Maltseva, and the deputy head, Irina Pavlova, gave welcome speeches. Darya spoke about the history and expertise of the laboratory, as well as the Summer School program, while Irina presented the master's program "Data Analytics and Social Statistics."

The summer school, conducted by the laboratory team and guest speakers, included both lectures and practical workshops covering the specifics of collecting and analyzing network data:

• Introductory section on network analysis. The lectures were conducted by Darya Maltseva, who discussed the origins, development of the methodology, and basic concepts of network analysis.
• Bibliometric analysis. Darya Maltseva presented a study on the field of network analysis, while Irina Pavlova showcased a case on the possibilities and limitations of implementing bibliometric network analysis using the specialized software VOSviewer, based on data from the open database OpenAlex.
• Organizational Network Research. Elena Stegnii shared the results of a bibliometric network analysis in the field of organizational studies. Anna Kartasheva demonstrated how to assess team effectiveness using network analysis.
• Social Media Research. Lika Kapustina discussed data collection sources for social networks and data analysis.
• Implementation of Applied Projects Using Network Analysis Methods. Natalia Matveeva and Daria Maltseva discussed techniques, approaches, and AI-assisted tools in network analysis and the presentation of research results. Daria Osokina and Anna Kartasheva shared their experiences and perspectives on how AI is transforming research practices.
• Guest speaker presentations (from the Big Data Analysis Laboratory at TSU). Darya Dunaeva demonstrated how big data is used in labor market research, introduced participants to the “Rosnavyk” platform and the skills graph. Alexander Gubanov gave a lecture on research in the field of network dynamics.

Over the course of two days, the school participants worked on projects and, at the conclusion of the training, defended Research Proposals describing research ideas that could be implemented using network analysis methodology. The following projects were presented:

• Occupational Map: Network Analysis of Opportunities for Horizontal Mobility in the Labor Market.
• Mapping the Network of Organizations Providing Social Assistance to Vulnerable Population Groups Using Network Analysis. 
• Bibliometric Analysis of Research on Therapeutic Culture. 
• Analysis of the Interconnections Among Telegram Channels of a Specific Focus. 
• The Impact of Bank License Revocation on the Performance of Related Banks.
• Modeling the Resilience of the Russian Economy to the Spread of Shocks: A Dynamic Approach.
• The Impact of Institutional Affiliation on Collaborations (Co-authorship) Among Russian Demographers. 
• Attitudes of State Duma Deputies Toward the Education of Migrants. 
• Effectiveness of Interactions and Inclusion at the "Vectors 2025" Conference.

The school attendees were just becoming acquainted with network analysis, so for many, the topics presented were new knowledge. However, participants specifically highlighted the novelty of the materials related to working with software for SNA, as well as the section on AI in network analysis and research activities. When discussing the most interesting aspects of the summer school, participants were fairly evenly divided across theoretical areas, indicating that the variety of topics was in demand. Reviews specifically highlight the balance between theory and practice, with the applied part of the summer school being the most interesting for participants: case studies on the practical application of SNA, working with software, and developing their own projects. Some attendees also singled out the atmosphere and social interaction at the school.

Most of them plan to use SNA in their future scientific research, including implementing SNA in their academic work: term papers, diplomas, master's, and candidate's theses. Some of the listeners mentioned that they want to use bibliometric analysis in their work on literature reviews. Another part plans to use network analysis in their professional activities, others – in teaching.

What the participants of the Summer School say about it:

• I changed my understanding of network analysis and got acquainted (the most important thing for me!) with tools for work (not only for visualization, like Pajek and VOSViewer, but also for general development in scientific activity, for example, Elicit).
• I got to know the concepts of network analysis and how to describe networks. I learned how to build a design for a network study. I understood when it is worth using this method, and when you can do without it. I also got acquainted with a huge number of tools for different tasks. We will study further :) 
• Daria showed the skills map that they created, and it seemed to me a fascinating study that can cause irreparable benefit) Also, on the last day, Alexander talked about the distribution of communication time between several people and this study resonated with my everyday practice and I was interested to see how it was operationalized.

You can continue immersing in research at the advanced training course, which is planned by ANR-Lab in the fall of 2025.