{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7142460959","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2026.03.004","title":"Network threats to causal inference: Variations in network position by participation in randomized controlled trials","display_name":"Network threats to causal inference: Variations in network position by participation in randomized controlled trials","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-03-28","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7142460959","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2026.03.004","pmid":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42038550"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.socnet.2026.03.004","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2026.03.004","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S26186134","display_name":"Social Networks","issn_l":"0378-8733","issn":["0378-8733","1879-2111"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320990","host_organization_name":"Elsevier BV","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320990"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Elsevier BV"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by-nc-nd","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc-nd","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Social Networks","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref","pubmed"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"hybrid","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2026.03.004","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5052760139","display_name":"Cassie McMillan","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4108-8112"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I12912129","display_name":"Northeastern University","ror":"https://ror.org/04t5xt781","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I12912129"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Cassie McMillan","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Sociology & Anthropology and School of Criminology & Criminal Justice, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4108-8112","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Sociology & Anthropology and School of Criminology & Criminal Justice, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I12912129"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5011607315","display_name":"Mark C. Pachucki","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7855-2433"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I24603500","display_name":"University of Massachusetts Amherst","ror":"https://ror.org/0072zz521","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I24603500"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Mark C. Pachucki","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Sociology and Computational Social Science Institute, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7855-2433","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Sociology and Computational Social Science Institute, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I24603500"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5130867134","display_name":"Jiaao Yu","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I12912129","display_name":"Northeastern University","ror":"https://ror.org/04t5xt781","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I12912129"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Jiaao Yu","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Sociology & Anthropology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Sociology & Anthropology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I12912129"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5130831607","display_name":"A. James O\u2019Malley","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I126688049","display_name":"Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice","ror":"https://ror.org/0511yej17","country_code":"US","type":"healthcare","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I126688049"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"A. James O\u2019Malley","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Biomedical Data Science and the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8389-6217","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Biomedical Data Science and the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I126688049"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5069775268","display_name":"Anne N. Thorndike","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1096-9221"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210087915","display_name":"Massachusetts General Hospital","ror":"https://ror.org/002pd6e78","country_code":"US","type":"healthcare","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210087915","https://openalex.org/I48633490"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Anne N. Thorndike","raw_affiliation_strings":["Harvard Medical School, Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1096-9221","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Harvard Medical School, Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210087915"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5002284536","display_name":"Douglas E. Levy","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9446-7899"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210087915","display_name":"Massachusetts General Hospital","ror":"https://ror.org/002pd6e78","country_code":"US","type":"healthcare","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210087915","https://openalex.org/I48633490"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Douglas E. Levy","raw_affiliation_strings":["Harvard Medical School; Mongan Institute Health Policy Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA, 02114, USA"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9446-7899","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Harvard Medical School; Mongan Institute Health Policy Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA, 02114, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210087915"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":6,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5052760139"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I12912129"],"apc_list":{"value":3690,"currency":"USD","value_usd":3690},"apc_paid":{"value":3690,"currency":"USD","value_usd":3690},"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.54586956,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":"86","issue":null,"first_page":"229","last_page":"239"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13283","display_name":"Mental Health Research Topics","score":0.7631999850273132,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3205","display_name":"Experimental and Cognitive Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13283","display_name":"Mental Health Research Topics","score":0.7631999850273132,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3205","display_name":"Experimental and Cognitive Psychology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/32","display_name":"Psychology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10845","display_name":"Advanced Causal Inference Techniques","score":0.14010000228881836,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2613","display_name":"Statistics and Probability"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/26","display_name":"Mathematics"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10241","display_name":"Functional Brain Connectivity Studies","score":0.012500000186264515,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2805","display_name":"Cognitive Neuroscience"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/28","display_name":"Neuroscience"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/1","display_name":"Life Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/randomized-controlled-trial","display_name":"Randomized controlled trial","score":0.8790000081062317},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/homophily","display_name":"Homophily","score":0.7365000247955322},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/generalizability-theory","display_name":"Generalizability theory","score":0.7028999924659729},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/randomized-experiment","display_name":"Randomized experiment","score":0.5947999954223633},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/cafeteria","display_name":"Cafeteria","score":0.5069000124931335},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/population","display_name":"Population","score":0.43059998750686646},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/intervention","display_name":"Intervention (counseling)","score":0.4212000072002411},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/control","display_name":"Control (management)","score":0.3061000108718872}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C168563851","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1436668","display_name":"Randomized controlled trial","level":2,"score":0.8790000081062317},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779812341","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5891525","display_name":"Homophily","level":2,"score":0.7365000247955322},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C27158222","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5532422","display_name":"Generalizability theory","level":2,"score":0.7028999924659729},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C155108698","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1231081","display_name":"Randomized experiment","level":2,"score":0.5947999954223633},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780509477","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q267","display_name":"Cafeteria","level":2,"score":0.5069000124931335},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.49309998750686646},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2908647359","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2625603","display_name":"Population","level":2,"score":0.43059998750686646},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780665704","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q959298","display_name":"Intervention (counseling)","level":2,"score":0.4212000072002411},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2775924081","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55608371","display_name":"Control (management)","level":2,"score":0.3061000108718872},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C4727928","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17164759","display_name":"Social network (sociolinguistics)","level":3,"score":0.3050000071525574},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C174106493","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1057880","display_name":"External validity","level":2,"score":0.30230000615119934},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C78780964","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7233193","display_name":"Position paper","level":2,"score":0.29280000925064087},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C198082294","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3399648","display_name":"Position (finance)","level":2,"score":0.29030001163482666},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C77805123","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161272","display_name":"Social psychology","level":1,"score":0.27320000529289246},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C53059260","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q374758","display_name":"Multilevel model","level":2,"score":0.27250000834465027},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776441110","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1436628","display_name":"Randomized response","level":3,"score":0.2639999985694885},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780801425","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5164392","display_name":"Construct (python library)","level":2,"score":0.257099986076355},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C53811970","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5062194","display_name":"Centrality","level":2,"score":0.25429999828338623},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C114713312","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7551269","display_name":"Social network analysis","level":3,"score":0.25200000405311584}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":3,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.socnet.2026.03.004","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2026.03.004","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S26186134","display_name":"Social Networks","issn_l":"0378-8733","issn":["0378-8733","1879-2111"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320990","host_organization_name":"Elsevier BV","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320990"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Elsevier BV"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by-nc-nd","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc-nd","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Social Networks","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmid:42038550","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42038550","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306525036","display_name":"PubMed","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I1299303238","host_organization_name":"National Institutes of Health","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1299303238"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Social networks","raw_type":null},{"id":"pmh:oai:pubmedcentral.nih.gov:13105307","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13105307/","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2764455111","display_name":"PubMed Central","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I1299303238","host_organization_name":"National Institutes of Health","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1299303238"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"Soc Networks","raw_type":"Text"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.1016/j.socnet.2026.03.004","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2026.03.004","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S26186134","display_name":"Social Networks","issn_l":"0378-8733","issn":["0378-8733","1879-2111"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320990","host_organization_name":"Elsevier BV","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320990"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Elsevier BV"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by-nc-nd","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc-nd","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Social Networks","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/G2188913216","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"R21-DK109548","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320337357","funder_display_name":"National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G3864083159","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"R01-AG089061","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320337337","funder_display_name":"National Institute on Aging"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G5154161767","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"R01-HL125486","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320337338","funder_display_name":"National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute"}],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320337337","display_name":"National Institute on Aging","ror":"https://ror.org/049v75w11"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320337338","display_name":"National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute","ror":"https://ror.org/012pb6c26"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320337357","display_name":"National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases","ror":"https://ror.org/00adh9b73"}],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":46,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W2004469324","https://openalex.org/W2015712245","https://openalex.org/W2015939282","https://openalex.org/W2026321692","https://openalex.org/W2085508623","https://openalex.org/W2089476879","https://openalex.org/W2099815494","https://openalex.org/W2111896942","https://openalex.org/W2113685676","https://openalex.org/W2113957290","https://openalex.org/W2114938072","https://openalex.org/W2118495149","https://openalex.org/W2118745042","https://openalex.org/W2129025140","https://openalex.org/W2130354913","https://openalex.org/W2141249644","https://openalex.org/W2144767275","https://openalex.org/W2508383602","https://openalex.org/W2512654822","https://openalex.org/W2561553028","https://openalex.org/W2571314531","https://openalex.org/W2737079750","https://openalex.org/W2809266094","https://openalex.org/W2810683299","https://openalex.org/W2892826882","https://openalex.org/W2900395039","https://openalex.org/W2901445799","https://openalex.org/W2945609150","https://openalex.org/W2966872291","https://openalex.org/W3085780309","https://openalex.org/W3112109515","https://openalex.org/W3124658416","https://openalex.org/W3154690858","https://openalex.org/W3165899180","https://openalex.org/W3167429927","https://openalex.org/W3197964226","https://openalex.org/W4226199584","https://openalex.org/W4229036042","https://openalex.org/W4297097698","https://openalex.org/W4307887482","https://openalex.org/W4385283431","https://openalex.org/W4388000058","https://openalex.org/W4388945175","https://openalex.org/W4396768342","https://openalex.org/W4400095591","https://openalex.org/W4410384056"],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Researchers":[0],"and":[1,31,40,58,118,129,194,242],"practitioners":[2],"rely":[3],"on":[4,218],"randomized":[5,94],"controlled":[6],"trials":[7],"(RCTs)":[8],"to":[9,71,95,105,124,145,188],"make":[10],"causal":[11],"inferences.":[12],"However,":[13],"most":[14],"people":[15],"who":[16],"participate":[17],"in":[18,37,198,210,251],"RCTs":[19],"are":[20,239],"part":[21],"of":[22,48,60,68,91,141,150,156,170,181,202,256],"multiple,":[23],"overlapping":[24],"social":[25,110],"networks":[26,111,231],"that":[27,162],"shape":[28],"their":[29,171],"behaviors":[30],"attitudes.":[32],"As":[33,74],"a":[34,49,81,85,89,96,139,219,225],"result,":[35],"variations":[36,62,209],"trial":[38],"participants\u2019":[39],"non-participants\u2019":[41],"network":[42,66,211,252],"positions":[43,67],"may":[44],"impede":[45],"the":[46,56,65,148,157,182,189,199,257],"generalizability":[47],"RCT\u2019s":[50],"conclusions.":[51],"The":[52],"current":[53],"project":[54],"evaluates":[55],"extent":[57],"impact":[59,213],"these":[61],"by":[63,246],"comparing":[64],"RCT":[69,72,83,127,163,214,237,247],"participants":[70,128,164,193,238],"non-participants.":[73],"an":[75],"informative":[76],"case":[77,226],"study,":[78],"we":[79,137],"considered":[80],"workplace-based":[82,222],"at":[84],"large":[86],"hospital":[87],"where":[88],"subset":[90],"employees":[92],"was":[93],"healthy":[97,220],"eating":[98,221],"intervention":[99,223],"or":[100],"control":[101],"group":[102],"from":[103,112,232],"2016":[104],"2019.":[106],"We":[107],"constructed":[108],"longitudinal":[109],"data":[113],"about":[114],"employees\u2019":[115,233],"cafeteria":[116,166,234],"purchases":[117],"applied":[119],"stochastic":[120],"actor-oriented":[121],"models":[122],"(SAOMs)":[123],"determine":[125],"whether":[126,147],"non-participants":[130,174],"occupied":[131],"significantly":[132],"different":[133],"structural":[134],"positions.":[135],"Then,":[136],"performed":[138],"series":[140],"computational":[142],"knockout":[143],"experiments":[144],"assess":[146],"elimination":[149],"specific":[151],"network-related":[152],"phenomena":[153],"impacted":[154,254],"estimates":[155,180,255],"intervention\u2019s":[158,183,258],"effect.":[159],"Results":[160],"suggest":[161],"made":[165],"co-purchases":[167],"with":[168,186],"more":[169],"colleagues":[172],"than":[173],"did.":[175],"These":[176],"differences":[177],"downwardly":[178],"biased":[179],"impact,":[184],"both":[185],"respect":[187],"trial\u2019s":[190],"efficacy":[191],"among":[192],"its":[195],"expected":[196],"effectiveness":[197],"larger":[200],"population":[201],"employees.":[203],"\u2022":[204,216,228,236,249],"Limited":[205],"research":[206],"considers":[207],"how":[208],"position":[212,253],"findings":[215],"Focus":[217],"as":[224],"study":[227],"Construct":[229],"co-purchasing":[230],"transactions":[235],"highly":[240],"connected":[241],"there":[243],"is":[244],"homophily":[245],"enrollment":[248],"Differences":[250],"effect":[259]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-05-16T08:24:45.110214","created_date":"2026-03-29T00:00:00"}