Name Generator Method
The name generator is the standard survey technique for collecting egocentric (personal) network data. A respondent (ego) is prompted to name the people (alters) with whom they have a specified kind of relationship — those with whom they discuss important matters, exchange support, or socialize. A follow-up battery of name-interpreter questions then records each alter's attributes and the ties among the alters, yielding measures of network size, composition, density, and diversity for each respondent.
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Sources
- Burt, R. S. (1984). Network items and the General Social Survey. Social Networks, 6(4), 293–339. DOI: 10.1016/0378-8733(84)90007-8 ↗
- Marsden, P. V. (2003). Interviewer effects in measuring network size using a single name generator. Social Networks, 25(1), 1–16. DOI: 10.1016/S0378-8733(02)00009-6 ↗
How to cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 22). Name Generator and Name Interpreter for Egocentric Networks. ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/sociology/name-generator-method
Which method?
Set this method beside its closest kin and read them side by side — the library lays the books on the table; the choice is yours.
- Ego Network AnalysisNetwork analysis↔ compare
- Homophily AnalysisSociology↔ compare
- Position Generator MethodSociology↔ compare
- Social Network AnalysisNetwork analysis↔ compare
- Structural Holes AnalysisSociology↔ compare