@article{ref1,
title="Civil Society and Online Political Discourse: The Network Structure of Unrestricted Discussions",
journal="Communication research",
year="2011",
author="Himelboim, Itai",
volume="38",
number="5",
pages="634-659",
abstract="The goal of this study is to examine--theoretically and empirically--the implications of unrestricted, computer-mediated social interactions for civil society. Discussions of 207,419 participants in 35 newsgroups over 6 years are examined. Patterns of participation and attention attraction follow a power-law degree distribution--a highly skewed distribution--as is expected in large networks. Furthermore, analysis shows that these patterns are dependent on group size: The larger a group, the more skewed is its distribution. These patterns indicate hierarchical social structures that limit equality among participants and well-informed citizenry. The growth of discussions, which can empower civil society, is in fact making it more hierarchical.<p />",
language="",
issn="0093-6502",
doi="10.1177/0093650210384853",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0093650210384853"
}