Twitter network analysis

Analyzing Social Media Data in R

Sowmya Vivek

Data Science Coach

Lesson overview

Understand the concepts of networks
Application of network concepts to social media
Create a retweet network for a topic

Network and network analysis

Network

Network and network analysis

Network analysis

Components of a network

Node or Vertex

Components of a network

Node or Vertex with Edge

Directed vs undirected network

Directed network

Directed vs undirected network

Undirected network

Applications in social media

Twitter users create complex network structures
Analyze the structure and size of the networks
Identify key players and influencers in a network
Pivotal to transmit information to a wide audience

Retweet network

Network of users who retweet original tweets posted
A directed network where the source vertex is the user who retweets
Target vertex is the user who posted the original tweet
Position on a retweet network helps identify key players to spread brand messaging

Retweet network of #OOTD

Create a retweet network of users who retweet on #OOTD
This hashtag is popular amongst users in the age group 16-24
Can be used to grab the attention of potential customers

Create the tweet data frame

# Create tweet data frame for tweets on #OOTD
twts_OOTD <- search_tweets("#OOTD ", n = 18000, include_rts = TRUE)

Create data frame for the network

# Create data frame for the network
rt_df <- twts_OOTD[, c("screen_name" , "retweet_screen_name" )]

head(rt_df,10)

screen_name      retweet_screen_name
<chr>                   <chr>
ShesinfashionCc          NA            
glamwearplanet           NA            
lanacond0r         LiveKellyRyan            
animeninjaz              NA            
zeluslondon              NA            
IonaJaneLevy             NA

Include only retweets in the data frame

# Remove rows with missing values
rt_df_new <- rt_df[complete.cases(rt_df), ]

Convert data frame to a matrix

# Convert to matrix
matrx <- as.matrix(rt_df_new)

Create the retweet network

# Create the retweet network
library(igraph)
nw_rtweet <- graph_from_edgelist(el = matrx, directed = TRUE)

View the retweet network

# View the retweet network
print.igraph(nw_rtweet)

View the retweet network

IGRAPH 7f42937 DN-- 4100 4616 -- 
+ attr: name (v/c)
+ edges from 7f42937 (vertex names):
 [1] MaikielYungin  ->ZingletC        MaikielYungin  ->ZingletC       
 [3] victoria_shop_1->victoria_shop_1 victoria_shop_1->victoria_shop_1
 [5] victoria_shop_1->victoria_shop_1 victoria_shop_1->victoria_shop_1
 [7] victoria_shop_1->victoria_shop_1 victoria_shop_1->victoria_shop_1
 [9] victoria_shop_1->victoria_shop_1 w3daily        ->RealFirstBuzz  
[11] w3daily        ->RealFirstBuzz   w3daily        ->RealFirstBuzz  
[13] w3daily        ->RealFirstBuzz   w3daily        ->RealFirstBuzz  
[15] w3daily        ->RealFirstBuzz   w3daily        ->RealFirstBuzz

Let's practice!

Analyzing Social Media Data in R