Workshops

Monday, November 4th:

Morning Workshops:

1A: Introduction to Epistemic Network Analysis

This workshop introduces the participants to the basics of the Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA). The goal of the workshop is to learn how to use the ENA web tool independently, and how to develop and interpret ENA graphs. The workshop consists of three parts: 1) theory, 2) step-by-step tutorial, and 3) group work. The topics of the first part are the differences between social network analysis and ENA, and data coding challenges. In the second part, the participants are introduced to the ENA web tool. Lastly, the participants put their newly acquired skills into practice in the group work exercises.

1B: Advanced Epistemic Network Analysis using rENA

In this workshop, we will introduce participants to advanced features of epistemic network analysis (ENA) available in the rENA package for R, as well as a brief introduction and demo on Ordered Network Analysis (ONA) using the ona R package. Our emphasis will be on how to implement the features, as well as how to determine whether they should be used. The workshop will culminate with an rENA analysis using ENA outputs in a subsequent technique, such as regression. Familiarity with ENA theory, the webtool, and rENA is preferred; however, we will provide brief overviews of each. We will also provide an R script for participants to use as a reference during and after the workshop.

1C: Custom ENA Rotations: Going Beyond SVD and Means Rotation

Epistemic Network Analysis is a flexible tool in Quantitative Ethnography for understanding discourse data, in part by providing you multiple rotation options for highlighting different features of interest in your data. In this all-levels welcome, tutorial workshop, we aim to give you the power to choose and develop your own rotations to fit your research aims, introducing you to open-source ENA-based tools. We will learn in-depth about the steps of the ENA algorithm and how it works, the relationships between your ENA rotations and your research aims, and how to use Github issues to get assistance, troubleshoot problems, and contribute to ENA development. We hope to deepen the QE community’s understanding of ENA and connect that understanding to broader developments in machine learning and high-dimensional analysis. To help translate these understandings into practice, learners in this workshop will schedule a post-conference check-in with workshop instructional staff, and learners will be invited to form working groups for post-conference ENA API development.

Afternoon Workshops:

2B: Introduction to (Automated) Coding in QE

This workshop will introduce methods for valid and reliable coding of text data using QE approaches. During the workshop, participants will work individually and in teams to step through the process of creating codes. In this interactive workshop, participants will learn how to (1) combine qualitative and quantitative perspectives for text analysis, (2) create codebooks for code validation and publication, (3) discuss epistemological issues related to automated coding in QE context.

2C: Advanced Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA) Interpretations

The goal of this workshop is to introduce participants to the advanced functions of epistemic network analysis available in the online web tool, including the features of weighted models, projection, masking, and trajectories. Using a worked example, we will illustrate ways to implement these features and discuss how to determine when they should be applied. The workshop concludes with an in-depth discussion of the mathematical processes behind epistemic networks, including the creation of adjacency matrices, matrix accumulation, spherical normalization, dimensional reduction, and positioning network nodes.