This month’s issue of Methods in Ecology and Evolution is even bigger than our July issue. In 250 pages of exciting ecology and evolution, we’re covering the impact of biologgers, seed dispersal, interactions between individuals, and loads more.

With the extra long issue, comes more free articles. There are ELEVEN papers in our August issue that are free to access for absolutely anyone. You can find out about the four Practical Tools papers and seven Applications articles below.

Find out a little more about the new issue of Methods in Ecology and Evolution below. Continue reading “Issue 10.8: Invertebrates, DNA Tech, Acoustic Ecology and More”

India StephensonAugust 8, 2019Leave a comment

Conservation and management, Methods papers, Practical Tools, Statistical methods, Theoretical methods

Animal Social Networks: Joint Special Feature Open Call

The recent focus on the study of animal social networks has led to some fundamental new insights. These have spanned across fields in ecology and evolution, ranging from epidemiology and learning through to evolution and conservation. Whilst network analysis has been used to address questions about sociality, food webs, bipartite networks and more over the past decade it is now extending into a wider variety … Continue reading Animal Social Networks: Joint Special Feature Open Call

India StephensonMarch 26, 2019August 22, 20193 Comments

Conservation and management, Evolution, Field Methods, Journal updates, Methods papers, Practical Tools, Statistical methods, Theoretical methods

Research Gaps in Animal Social Network Analysis

Post provided by Damien Farine, Sebastian Sosa, David Jacoby, Mathieu Lihoreau and Cédric Sueur

Social network visualization. Photo by Martin Grandjean CC-SA.

Here at Methods in Ecology & Evolution and the Journal of Animal Ecology we are excited by the new directions that the next decade of research into animal social networks will bring. We hope to encourage new advances in the study of animal social networks by calling for high-quality papers for a cross-journal Special Feature on animal social networks. Below, Damien Farine and the Special Feature Guest Editors have reviewed some areas of animal social network research that deserve particular attention.

Methodological Gaps

Network Metrics

There are a wide variety of network metrics (node-based, dyadic, and global) and the application and development of new metrics continue to evolve. It is crucial to consider how the values generated by a network metrics (new and old) are interpreted biologically and recognize their limitations. It would be useful to have manuscripts that address questions about:

How mathematical definitions of different network metrics translate to biological processes;
Which metrics provide similar, redundant, or unique information relative to other metrics.

Continue reading “Research Gaps in Animal Social Network Analysis”

India StephensonMarch 26, 20191 Comment