SOCIOMETRY RESEARCH IN SOCIAL NETWORKS AS INSTRUMENTS FOR SOCIOLOGY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
In this paper, authors give the overview of theoretical and methodical basements for sociometry studies in the field of virtual communities, forming by social networks users, provide the overview and classification of three generations of instruments and special software, which give a number of possibilities for implementing research in social networks. The paper also gives the example of such research with the help of computerized methods. We studied the opinion of social network LiveJournal users, based on two thematic areas, which had a wide public sound and discussion on content of the adopted laws (federal and regional level). Authors describe results of the research project, implemented in St.Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (University ITMO). Research team created Web-Oriented Research and Educational Center in the field of Social Dynamics and its Applications and fulfilled probation studies of several virtual communities, formed around actively discussed topics in social networks, mentioned above.