— Volume II No. 2: July 2006 —

Article [html] pdf file

Article [pdf]

Social Network Analysis as an Approach to Combat Terrorism: Past, Present, and Future Research

COMMENTS

David Hofer October 06, 2006 22:04

Questions on Social Network Analysis as an Approach to Combat Terrorism 1. Is it possible for Social Network Analysis to be as shielded from subjectivity as Physics or Biology? Though Physics and Biology had been corrupted by the USSR and the Third Reich, it is easy to get honest empirical conclusions
Read More >>

Nicole Doyle May 05, 2010 12:56

Hi, and thanks for writing the article. I am interested in whether or not we have internationally engaged on the topic of terrorism and if so, what have we learned? I agree with your position that much can be gained in our knowledge via the use of online media and that expansion of our efforts can
Read More >>

CHDS Comment Policy

AUTHOR:
Steve Ressler
Steve Ressler is a member of the first class of the Department of Homeland Security Graduate Fellowship Program and president of the DHS Scholars and Fellows Alumni Program. He received his master’s degree in sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, where he conducted research on social network analysis. He completed this article while a DHS Fellow intern at the ANSER Homeland Security Institute. Currently, Mr. Ressler serves as an IT auditor for the Department of Homeland Security. In addition, Mr. Ressler is vice-president of www.youngovernmentleaders.org a professional organization of young men and women employed by the federal government. In this capacity, Mr. Ressler is also co-editor of YGL’s Young Professionals series in The Public Manager and recently published an article in the journal entitled “Recruiting and Retaining Young Government Leaders: The Information Technology Example.” Email sressler@gmail.com.

ABSTRACT:
As the United States enters the twenty-first century, the biggest threat to the national security of the U.S. is terrorist organizations. These are primarily decentralized structures that consist of a series of loosely connected individuals forming around an ideology. The U.S is unable to combat this opponent with traditional, hierarchical approaches to warfare and needs new strategies. One major analytical tool to help understand and potentially disrupt terrorist networks is social network analysis. Social network analysis is useful because it makes the social connections between individuals the focus of analysis. This article provides an overview of the history of social network analysis and its use in terrorism research. Research currently using social network analysis to analyze terrorism is limited in quantity, but shows great promise for helping us to understand terrorist networks.

Read full article.

SUGGESTED CITATION:
Ressler, Steve. “Social Network Analysis as an Approach to Combat Terrorism: Past, Present, and Future Research.” Homeland Security Affairs 2, issue 2 (July 2006)
http://www.hsaj.org/?article=2.2.8