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| The Underlying Mechanisms Driving the Formation of Online Social Networks—Interdisciplinary Perspective |
| WEI Jianjiong, HU Haibo
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| Department of Management Science & Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, China |
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Abstract This survey summarizes the mechanisms driving the formation and evolution of online social networks from the multidisciplinary perspective, with emphasis on homophily and preferential linking. The survey elaborates the advances made recently in the research of these mechanisms, reveals the reasons behind various mechanisms and the impact of these mechanisms on network evolution, points out the potential application of these mechanisms, and clarifies the common misunderstanding for the formation mechanisms of online social networks. Finally this survey summarizes the research significance, including theoretical and application value, and future research directions on the formation mechanisms of online social networks.
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Received: 08 April 2014
Published: 22 June 2026
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