Exploratory blockmodeling

Exploratory blockmodeling is an (inductive) approach (or a group of approaches) in <a href="/facts/Blockmodeling/mQtuvX0f">blockmodeling</a> regarding the specification of an ideal <a href="/facts/Blockmodel/rTtN38Sb">blockmodel</a>.: 234  This approach, also known as hypotheses-generating, is the simplest approach, as it "merely involves the definition of the block types permitted as well as of the number of <a href="/facts/Cluster_analysis/HUeDnWPt">clusters</a>." With this approach, researcher usually defines the best possible blockmodel, which then represent the base for the analysis of the whole network.
This approach is usually based on:: 284 

<ul><li>previous analyses and theoretical considerations,</li>
<li>using stricker blockmodel and block types, where the <a href="/facts/Structural_equivalence/TdCJbRfX">structural equivalence</a> is stricker than the <a href="/facts/Regular_equivalence/TdCJbRfX">regular equivalence</a> and</li>
<li>using smaller number of classes.</li></ul>
The opposite approach is called a <a href="/facts/Confirmatory_blockmodeling/PXShEPCx">confirmatory blockmodeling</a>.

Exploratory blockmodeling open-in-new

Exploratory blockmodeling