Edges in Epistemic Network Analysis

Epistemic network analysis (ENA) is a powerful tool for quantifying complex qualitative data. The visualization and analytical power of ENA could be extended by adding additional meaning to edges within networks including semantic relationships and the ability to connect more than two nodes. Here, we use Reddit data on social support for antidepressant side effects to highlight the ways in which ENA network edges could be extended with elements of semantic networks and hypergraphs. The types of support seen in discussions of anti-depressant use on social media are representations of multiple complex conceptual relationships between potential side effects of antidepressants, cessation/withdrawal from antidepressants, and requests and offers for social support. Together, the elements of semantic networks, hypergraphs, and ENA provide a richer picture of complex interactions such as the discussions of antidepressant side effects in Reddit threads.