Taking stock of networks across the security field: a review, typology and research agenda

Security network research has grown considerably in the last decade as it
has been increasingly recognised that security is pursued through
networks of public, private and hybrid actors or nodes. This research
deals with local, institutional, international and virtual security networks
and includes techniques such as social network analysis and approaches
more familiar to organisational theory and management. However,
much of the security network research employs the network concept as
a metaphor to suggest a relationship between a set of security nodes,
without examining the structural pattern of these relationships or the
underlying properties of security networks. Different uses of the network
concept have led to confusion about the application of network theory
across the security field. This article attempts to address these issues by
clarifying the fundamental concepts of a network perspective and
revisiting existing typologies of security networks. We review research
on the use of network perspectives across the security field, evaluate
theoretical and empirical trends, and give directions for future research.
We examine the geographical properties of security networks operating
at the subnational, national and transnational levels and put forward
four types of networks that have the potential to improve security
network research: information exchange networks, knowledge
generating networks, problem-solving networks and coordination
networks. The article concludes by highlighting the importance of
networks for understanding and promoting the governance of security.