In our contribution, we take methodological account of social network analysis (SNA) for the study of social movements. The popularity of SNA has boomed in recent years. Social sciences have long used the idea of a network in their theorizing, especially so in the study of social movements. However, SNA has allowed the metaphor of network to become an analytical concept in its own right, opening space for new analytical strategies. Drawing on our research, we examine several methodological issues of SNA in general and as applied on social movements. We argue for the benefits of combining SNA with qualitative interviews as a means to achieve richer and more valid interpretation of the data. Furthermore, we discuss different ways of operationalization of ties and its effect on the analysis. We include some demonstration of online data collection as an unobtrusive means of data collection which allows for large data sets. We discuss its strengths and weaknesses concerning its validity and potential to map overlaps and other structural features in the civil sector and social movements. Apart from methodological discussions and demonstrations, we also present our substantial findings from social movement research in the Czech Republic.
