The Encyclopedia of Social Network Analysis and Mining (ESNAM) is the first major reference work to integrate fundamental concepts and research directions in the areas of social networks and applications to data mining. While ESNAM reflects the state-of-the-art in social network research, the field had its start in the 1930s when fundamental issues in social network research were broadly defined.

The study of social networks was originated in social and business communities. In recent years, social network research has advanced significantly; the development of sophisticated techniques for Social Network Analysis and Mining (SNAM) has been highly influenced by the online social Web sites, email logs, phone logs and instant messaging systems, which are widely analyzed using graph theory and machine learning techniques.

by Marion E. Hambrick (Author)
Social network analysis is a methodological tool used to investigate social networks, or collections of individuals, groups, or organizations and their shared relationships