Howison, James, Andrea Wiggins, and Kevin Crowston. "Validity issues in the use of social network analysis for the study of online communities." Journal of the Association for Information Systems 12.12 (2011): 767-797.

This paper discusses the challenges and validity issues associated with using trace data from online social interactions for Social Network Analysis (SNA) in Information Systems research. It highlights the differences between trace data and traditional data sources used in Sociology and Anthropology, emphasizing the need for careful consideration in data collection, construct development, and measure interpretation. The paper identifies four specific issues: reliability concerns, the necessity of linking data to theoretical constructs, validity problems due to construct stability, and issues arising from using near-complete records of community activities. It concludes with recommendations to enhance the rigor and relevance of SNA research in Information Systems.