Literature Review of Economic and Regional Development through Quantitative Methods and Social Network Analysis

Abstract

Economic and Regional Development is a subject of research that is not recent in the international literature. The unequal spatial distribution of income, economic opportunities and activities has attracted the interest of a large number of researchers in recent decades. The studies focused on the spatial disparities between the regions and their evolution over time using statistical analysis methods. In this paper we present a systematic review of the existing literature of economic and regional development through quantitative methods and social network analysis. Via research questions we summarize the different research approaches and offer a discussion and suggestions for future research. To what extent has regional development been studied by quantitative methods? How is research evolving in regional development of the European Union? Has Social Network Analysis been used in the context of regional development? This paper attempts to go one step further and introduce the use of techniques and methods of Social Network Analysis in Economic and Regional Development.