Combining topic models with bipartite blockmodelling to uncover the multifaceted nature of social capital

In this paper, we seek to identify the existing conceptualisations and applications of social capital contained in the literature, as well as how these are used and combined across and within research fields. Our analytical approach presents a unique combination of topic models and bipartite blockmodelling, enabling us to analyse both the content and structures of a large collection of academic texts. In particular, this allows us to: (a) summarise the content in relation to a variety of topics; and (b) uncover the structure, with diverse text subsets engaging differently with these topics. Our analysis of all of the 11,975 articles on Web of Science that address ‘social capital’ demonstrates that these can be reduced to nine distinct topic clusters and six article clusters. Specifically, we identify the multifaceted nature of the social-capital metaphor and show that there are clear variations in how it is deployed in different bodies of literature. Finally, by mapping the diverse conceptualisations and applications of social capital in a network, we propose a tool for identifying future research opportunities for those interested in novel social-capital treatments in their field.