Centrality
Centrality measures help identify which nodes are most important or influential in a network.
Degree
Degree is the number of connections a node has.
- higher degree = more connections
- lower degree = fewer connections
In-degree
In directed networks, in-degree counts how many connections are directed towards a node.
This can indicate:
- attention
- citations
- incoming communication
Out-degree
Out-degree counts how many connections a node sends to others.
This can indicate:
- activity
- outreach
- influence
Degree centrality
Degree centrality is a simple measure of how connected a node is relative to others in the network.
Nodes with high degree centrality are often described as:
- well-connected
- visible within the network
However, being highly connected does not necessarily mean a node is strategically important.
Betweenness
Betweenness measures how often a node lies between other nodes.
Nodes with high betweenness can:
- act as bridges between groups
- control or facilitate connections
These nodes are often important even if they are not highly connected.