Collaborative Research: Innovation in Social Networks

Northwestern University, Evanston IL

Investigators

Abstract

The recent growth in large-scale networks and online communication has generated new ways in which networks can diffuse information. But a number of research questions remain unanswered, such as how networks affect innovation and how network structure shapes competition among ideas or technologies. The goal of the research is to examine how research communities and links between them affect innovation. It develops a theory of how connections and absences of connections among individuals influence the process of innovation, with particular attention paid to the role of "boundary agents" who straddle different communities. Intellectual Merit. The project is poised at the frontier of computer science and economics. Computer scientists have long studied how information is created and processed. Economists have long studied incentives for innovation. This project introduces a new paradigm. It studies innovation in networks of people and firms, where information flows through network links. Developing this paradigm requires a deep understanding of the graph-theoretic properties of the network and the incentives of the participants. The combined tools of the principal investigators represent a significant methodological advance not only for computer science and economics, but the sciences more generally. Broader Impact. The project increases participation of women and under-represented groups in science. A graduate course trains students in state-of-the-art tools in network science from all relevant fields including economics, social sciences, mathematics, and computer science, while undergraduate courses incorporate social network examples. In addition, the research advances understanding about the participation of underrepresented groups in social and economic networks. Finally, the scientific aims of the project develop knowledge that can inform policy makers in designing incentives for innovation, discovery, and diversity.