Communication and Idea Transmission across Historical Communities: A Quantitative Analysis of Early Modern Nonconformist Networks

Hill, Mark J., Vaara, Ville, Tolonen, Mikko (2023) Communication and Idea Transmission across Historical Communities: A Quantitative Analysis of Early Modern Nonconformist Networks. Huntington Library Quarterly, 86 (2). pp. 377-407. ISSN 1544-399X. (doi:10.1353/hlq.2023.a936422) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:117311)

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1353/hlq.2023.a936422

Abstract

This essay outlines methodologies for identifying and understanding discourse within and across historical communities. It uses social network analysis and quantitative text analysis to demonstrate, first, how communities of actors with a shared context can be extracted from social networks, and second, that the written works tied to those communities hold distinct linguistic features. To do this, it develops a case study around early modern Quakers within the London book trade. The aim is to use existing historical knowledge and expertise to both validate the methods and offer insights into their future uses.

Item Type:	Article
DOI/Identification number:	10.1353/hlq.2023.a936422
Uncontrolled keywords:	Quakers, Nonconformists, English Short Title Catalogue, social network analysis, natural language processing, digital humanities
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Institutional Unit:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Former Institutional Unit:	There are no former institutional units.
Funders:	University of Kent (https://ror.org/00xkeyj56)
Depositing User:	Ian Badger
Date Deposited:	28 Oct 2026 12:49 UTC
Last Modified:	29 Oct 2026 04:52 UTC
Resource URI:	https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/117311 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Hill, Mark J..

Creator's ORCID:	https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7273-1775
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