Building connections: Exploring social network research in forest sciences

This study evaluates the role of social network research in exploring its current application within forest research and identify potential for building connections. Through a systematic literature review of 135 articles, we investigate the theoretical and methodological nuances of social network research, highlighting the predominance of ontological and epistemological underpinnings of network theories as well as the pre-eminence of structural approaches. Our review identifies a significant emphasis on second-generation social network analysis (SNA) methods in the literature, which primarily focus on network structures. We find a limited application of relational and ideational perspectives offered by first and third-generation approaches. The literature review reveals that social network theories, although crucial, are underutilized beyond their ontological and epistemological underpinnings in forest research. Our findings demonstrate that social networks are essential for knowledge exchange, trust and power. However, the integration of comprehensive social network theories into forest research remains limited, suggesting the potential for further application in forest research. We emphasize the need for a more diversified methodological approach that extends beyond structural analysis to include more qualitative and ideational frameworks. By broadening the scope of social network applications, forest research can more effectively tackle the complexities of sustainable management and governance. This shift could lead to more robust strategies to cope with the challenges posed by environmental changes and complex stakeholder dynamics in forest governance. • Social network research is used in forest research, yet its application remains limited compared to broader forest research. • Ontological and epistemological underpinnings of theory are prevalent in current forest research. • In forest research, structural, second-generation SNA methods dominate the application of SNA. • There is a need to incorporate more ideational approaches of social network in forest research.