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https://github.com/compnet/trajannet

Extraction and analysis of a Trajan-related social network
https://github.com/compnet/trajannet

history roman-empire signed-graph social-network trajan

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Extraction and analysis of a Trajan-related social network

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README 

          
TrajanNet

=======

*Extraction and analysis of a [Trajan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trajan)-related social network*



* Copyright 2019-2020 Vincent Labatut 



TrajanNet is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation. For source availability and license information see `licence.txt`



* Lab site: http://lia.univ-avignon.fr/

* GitHub repo: https://github.com/CompNet/TrajanNet

* Data: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6814111

* Contact: Vincent Labatut 



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![Trajan's multiplex network](data/nets/preview.png)



# Description

This set of R scripts aims at analyzing a historical dataset describing the relationships between the Roman emperor Trajan and his entourage. It does the following:

1. Extracts various networks based on some tabular data containing individual and relational attributes.

2. Computes a number of statistics and generates the corresponding plots, for both the tables and graphs.

3. Performs a sequence analysis of certain chronological attributes.



If you use these scripts or the associated data, please cite the reference [[V'20](#references)]:

```

@MastersThesis{Vallet2020,

  author      = {Vallet, Gaëtane},

  title       = {Les princes et les hommes : carrières et réseaux dans l'entourage de Trajan de 98 à 118 après J.-C.},

  year        = {2020},

  type        = {MA Thesis},

  institution = {Avignon University},

}

```



# Data

The raw dataset was manually elaborated by Gaëtane Vallet during her Master's thesis in ancient history. See her thesis (in French) for more information [[V'18](#references), [V'20](#references)]. The files produced by the scripts (graphs, plots, tables...) can be obtained by executing them, but they are also directly available on [Zenodo](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6814111).



# Organization

Here are the folders composing the project:

* Folder `data`: contains the data used by the R scripts, as well as produced by them.

  * Folder `tables`: input data presented as the following CSV tables

    * `trajan_attributes.csv`: individual description of each historical character in the dataset.  

    * `trajan_careers.csv`: careers of the character, described as sequences of positions.  

    * `trajan_positions.csv`: list of professional positions a character can hold.  

    * `trajan_relations.csv`: connections between the characters.  

    * `trajan_typical_careers.csv`: ideal careers, described as sequences of positions.  

  * Folder `nets`: networks procuded by the scripts, and the associated plots and tables.

    * Folder `all`: network containing all the types of links at once (multiplex signed network).

    * Folder `family`: network with only the family ties (uniplex signed network).

    * Folder `friend`: network with only the friendship ties (uniplex unsigned network).

    * Folder `pro`: network with only the professional ties (uniplex signed network).

    * Folder `unknown`: network with relationships whose exact nature is unknown (uniplex signed network). 

    * Folder `signed`: signed network with no distinction between relationship types (signed collapsed multiplex network).

      * Folder `na-as-positive*`: network obtained by considering the links whose sign is unknown as positive ones.

      * Folder `na-as-ignored*`: network obtained by discarding the links whose sign is unknown.

      * Folder `*-closure`: closure of the signed network obtained using *strong* structural balance.

      * Folder `*-closure-poly`: closure of the signed network obtained using *weak* structural balance.

  * Folder `attributes`: descriptive results obtained for the individual attributes.

  * Folder `sequences`: descriptive results obtained for the individual attributes.

    * Folder `withNAs`: gaps in careers are explicitly represented as missing values.

    * Folder `withoutNAs`: gaps in careers are not represented at all.

* Folder `src`: contains the `R` source code.



# Installation

You just need to install `R` and the required packages:

1. Install the [`R` language](https://www.r-project.org/)

2. Download this project from GitHub and unzip.

3. Install the required packages: 

   1. Open the `R` console.

   2. Set the current directory as the working directory, using `setwd("")`.

   3. Run the install script `src/install.R`.



# Use

In order to extract the networks from the raw data, compute the statistics, and generate the plots:

1. Open the `R` console.

2. Set the current directory as the working directory, using `setwd("")`.

3. Run the main script `src/main.R`.



The scripts will produce a number of files in the subfolders of folder `nets`. They are grouped in subsubfolders, each one corresponding to a specific topological measure (degree, closeness, etc.). 



The `verification.R` was used to check the consistency of the raw data. The rest of the scripts are just secondary functions called by `main.R`.



# Dependencies

* [`igraph`](http://igraph.org/r/) package: build and handle graphs.

* [`signnet`](https://github.com/schochastics/signnet): analysis of signed graphs.

* [`graphlayouts`](https://cran.rstudio.com/web/packages/graphlayouts): plot graphs.

* [`ggraph`](https://cran.rstudio.com/web/packages/ggraph): plot graphs.

* [`TraMineR`](http://traminer.unige.ch/): sequence analysis.

* [`SDMTools`](https://cran.rstudio.com/web/packages/SDMTools): misc.

* [`scales`](https://cran.rstudio.com/web/packages/scales): color conversion.

* [`circlize`](https://cran.rstudio.com/web/packages/scales): circos-type plots.

* [`plot.matrix`](https://cran.rstudio.com/web/packages/scales): matrix plots.

* [`alluvial`](https://cran.rstudio.com/web/packages/scales): alluvial diagrams.

* [`cluster`](https://cran.rstudio.com/web/packages/scales): cluster analysis.

* [`dendextend`](https://cran.rstudio.com/web/packages/scales): dendrogram-related features.



# To-do List

* Signed nets: 

  * Consider the evolution of the relationships

  * Synchronous closure, separate the different steps until complete graph

* Structural similarity between spaniards / the rest (and other attributes)

* Multiplex plot of the different types of links (didn't find an appropriate tool)



# References

* **[V'20]** Vallet, G. *Les princes et les hommes : carrières et réseaux dans l’entourage de Trajan de 98 à 118 après J.-C.*, Second part of the Master's thesis, Avignon University, Human and Social Sciences Faculty, History Department, Avignon, France.

* **[V'18]** Vallet, G. *L'entourage de Trajan : étude prosopographique de l'entourage du prince de 98-117 apr. J.-C.*, First part of the Master's thesis, Avignon University, Human and Social Sciences Faculty, History Department, Avignon, France.