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Using Visualizations to Explore Network Dynamics

It’s sometimes hard to see how subjects we learn in class are applied to real-world cases, and this article examines network dynamics in several settings, and applies visualization tools to help understand information. The first case is of the adoption of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) by the World Health Organizations (WHO) by different states. We learn in class that adoption cascades occur when “nodes” begin to change to a new or better technology, which influences other nearby nodes into changing to this technology as well. In this article it’s discussed that:  “Wipfli and others (2010)found that the likelihood of FCTC ratification by a country was three times as likely when that country was exposed to other members of ratifying countries via membership in GLOBALink.”

 

First: “GLOBALink is also a unique online network in that membership requires a multi-step process by which two existing GLOBALink members are required to vouch for any new applicant. This procedure was originally put in place to prevent tobacco industry employees from participating in GLOBALink.”

 

Meaning that a country is more likely (3x more) to adopt the FCTC when it was forming ties with people in other countries/states who have adopted the policy. The researchers also visualized the adoption of the FCTC in different nations by percent, and can be viewed below.

It seems that the rate of adoption stopped increasing once it hit 90%, and this is likely due to tightly-clustered networks. In this case, the WHO is trying to make countries adopt protocol that reduces the influence of tobacco companies, and the countries not adopting (or who are hesitant) likely have many connections with other countries that haven’t adopted the protocol. In fact, this is almost certainly the case.

 

 

Another interesting visualization is that of the network’s structure:

Here you can see that members are closely tied to members that are in close proximity to themselves, or are part of a country who is close to them in physical location. In this case, people from the United States are closely interconnected, but also have weak ties with many south and central american nation-members.

 

This article is a fascinating look at the power of network structure in a real setting (the adoption of the FCTC by the WHO).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4184104/

 

 

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