How not to do social network analysis

On the purported social network analysis of climate scientists by Edward Wegman of George Mason University, the study’s flawed methodology, and (drum roll) eventual retraction from the journal Computational Statistics and Data Analysis. Oh, and charges of plagiarism in Wegman’s paper. See links below for comments and news reports.

• Climate study gets pulled after charges of plagiarism
• Retracted climate critics’ study panned by expert
• Adventures in social network analysis
• Adventures in social network analysis: approaching the finale
• Controversial paper critiquing climate change science set to be retracted because of plagiarism