A central concern in the contemporary social sciences is the role and significance of social networks. 'Network' is now a common term for describing a whole range of concepts and activities, from new modes of governance and new organisational structures and forms of service delivery to how individuals form relationships and groups within society. From a normative perspective, the network concept is an important place for explaining different levels of interconnectedness among actors and organisations. From a governance perspective, networks define a series of engagements between governments, NGOs, firms and citizens. The techniques generated for network analysis also provide important methods for evaluating the effectiveness of social coordination. A group of researchers based in the School of Political Science, Criminology & Sociology at the University of Melbourne are involved in network research on a number of these topics, including:

• social and political connectedness in communities
• innovation inside government
• local level partnerships
• joined-up government
• local governance and the third sector