A Taxonomy of Communication Networks.

Communication network research is increasingly being used across the communication discipline. However, most social network research is limited in its generalizability because it focuses on either a single network case or ego-centric network data. In order to generate knowledge across network studies, a mechanism is needed to synthesize. This chapter presents a taxonomy of communication relations, differentiating between communication flow, affinity, representational, and semantic networks. Then, it demonstrates the utility of the taxonomy for synthesizing network research by reviewing 139 studies in communication journals, focusing on the antecedents, outcomes, and processes of each type of network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]