How Do People Know Each Other? Counting the Uncountable

在过去的六年里，这个研究小组一直在测试一个模型，用于估计不可控人群的规模（如强奸受害者、艾滋病毒血清阳性或无家可归者等人群）。这种模式显示出了希望，但也显示出了一些明显的缺点，因为它几乎没有关于管理社交网络的规则的理论——即管理人们认识谁以及他们对彼此了解什么的规则。研究者的研究计划将a)阐明这些规则，b)改进估计不可数种群规模的模型。计划进行两项研究。第一项研究解决了这个问题：了解他人的各种情况有多难？例如，假设知道网络中被识别的人的职业比知道他们的血型更容易，那么如何测量这种差异呢？这种困难取决于“了解”彼此的什么条件？第二项研究解决了这样一个问题：我们对多少人足够了解，知道他们的职业或血型——或许多其他类型的信息？无论是对基础研究还是对应用和政策目的而言，该主题领域的重要性都非常大。

For the past six years this research team has been testing a model for estimating the size of uncontrollable populations (populations like victims of rape, or people who are HIV-sero- positive, or homeless people). The model has shown promise but has also shown some clear shortcomings, as a result of having almost no theory regarding the rules governing social networks - that is, the rules governing who people know and what they know about one another. The investigator's program of research will a) illuminate those rules and b) improve model for estimating the size of uncountable populations. Two studies are planned. The first study addresses the question: How difficult is it to know various things about other people? Given, for example, that it is easier to know the occupation of those identified in a network than it is to know their blood type, how can this difference be measured, and what conditions of "knowing" one another does this difficulty depend on? The second study addresses the question: How many people do we know well enough to know their occupation or blood type - or a host of other kinds of information? The importance of the topic area is very great, both for fundamental research and for applied and policy purposes.