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The use of documentary data for network analysis in emergency and crisis management

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Abstract

The use of network analysis to understand relationships among actors and organizations in coordinated actions has grown in recent years. Examining the network structure and functions in disaster response has gained particular attention. Different methods of data collection and analysis are utilized in network research. The use of documents as a data source has also gained traction. Scholars utilize content analysis of documents to uncover network structure, i.e., core “nodes,” and functions. This is especially critical in emergency and crisis management as the associated network involves complex set of actors from different sectors and jurisdictions, and first-hand recollections of representatives might not be inclusive of every interaction and specific actors they worked with. With augmented utilization, there is a need to understand the methodological process of document use as a primary means of data analysis in emergency management. This study fills that gap by providing a systematic literature review of empirical studies across a broad range of subjects that have discussed document collection and use for network analysis. Furthermore, this study provides a detailed example of the method of document identification and collection, data generation and organization process, and network visualization and analysis in an emergency and crisis management context. The study concludes with answering, for disaster response networks, what types of documentary data are utilized and how they are used, the types of disasters that have been prevalent in utilizing this method, and the process undertaken to analyze and visualize networks.

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Funding

The study was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant CMMI-1952792, entitled “SCC-IRG Track 2: Leveraging Smart Technologies and Managing Community Resilience through Networked Communities and Cross-Sector Partnerships.” Any opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA

    Naim Kapucu, Ratna Okhai, Yue Ge & Chris Zobel

  2. Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA

    Chris Zobel

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  1. Naim Kapucu
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  2. Ratna Okhai
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  3. Yue Ge
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  4. Chris Zobel
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Contributions

The study conception and design were contributed by NK, PhD. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by RO and NK, PhD. All authors commented on every iteration of the draft, in addition to providing review and editing. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Naim Kapucu.

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Kapucu, N., Okhai, R., Ge, Y. et al. The use of documentary data for network analysis in emergency and crisis management. Nat Hazards 116, 425–445 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-022-05681-5

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