Methodological and theoretical issues in longitudinal social networks: analysis example of multiple inter-organizational relations

The paper illustrate some theoretical and methodological implications of the analysis of longitudinal social networks analysis. Literature and research results are discussed in relation with typical problems of this source of data: definition of time interval and modelling. The analysis of multiple organizational data in the media production sector (companies and alliances or constellations) integrates Multiple Correspondence Analysis with network analysis in order to investigate time evolution of collaborative and competing relations among firms and the structuring of new market structures.