Detailed Analysis Using Centrality Measures - Degree vs. Closeness

In order to identify the most powerful nodes within the network, I ran the centrality measures, degree, betweenness, closeness and eigenvector. Then graphed the results in excel and looked for any outliers.

The first graph that I created was a scatterplot of the degree centrality measures verses the closeness centrality measures. There is a general upward trend throughout the graph comparing degree and closeness. Abderraouf Ben Habib Jdey and Faker Ben Abdelaziz Boussora both of al-Qaeda have the highest degree and closeness centrality measures, meaning that they have the largest number of connections in the network and they are also the closest to the center of the network. While Carlos Mauricio Garcia Fernandez, from Self-Defense Groups of Cordoba and Uraba (ACCU), has the lowest degree measure within the network and a relatively low closeness measure, meaning that he has the lowest number of connections in the network and is positioned relatively far away from the center of the principle component of the network.

Three members of the network share the lowest closeness measures and relatively low degree measures. These members are Michael McLaughlin and Roy Paul Willey from the Budweiser Brigage of the IRA and Ralph P. Bock from the New Order. They are the farthest members from the center of the principle component of the network and they have relatively few connections to the other nodes in the network.

I then graphed the degree centrality measures separately in a bar graph format to identify and confirm the hierarchy of degree within the network. This graph also shows that Abderraouf Ben Habib Jdey and Faker Ben Abdelaziz Boussora both of al-Qaeda have the highest degree centrality measure, meaning that they have the largest number of connections within the network. While Carlos Mauricio Garcia Fernandez of the Self-Defense Groups of Cordoba and Uraba (ACCU) has the lowest degree centrality measure, meaning that he has the lowest number of connections within the principle component of the network.

The closeness centrality measures were also graphed separately to identify who has the closest proximity to the center of the network and who is located on the outside of the network. Again, reaffirming that Abderraouf Ben Habib Jdey and Faker Ben Abdelaziz Boussora both of al-Qaeda have the highest closeness centrality measure, meaning that they are the closest to the center of the network. While Michael McLaughlin and Roy Paul Willey from the Budweiser Brigage of the IRA and Ralph P. Bock from the New Order has the lowest closeness centrality measure, meaning that they are located at the farthest proximity from the center of the principle component of the network.