Associate professor Karine Nahon's recent work continues to garner attention from luminaries in the field of Network Theory and has been included in a special section of the International Journal of Communication.

First presented at a February 2010 workshop held by the University of Southern California Annenberg School of Communication, Nahon's paper — titled "Network Fuzziness of Inclusion/Exclusion" — explores the dynamic relationship between network gatekeepers and the people they gate. Her exploration of the concept of fuzziness suggests that network inclusion and exclusion are not permanent, i.e., that there can be ambiguity about who is in the network, and thus that the balance of power between gatekeeper and gated may change or even reverse.

In their introduction to the Special Section in which her paper appears, prominent network theorists Manuel Castells, Peter Monge, and Noshir Contractor note the importance of her work and applaud this unique take on the conventional theory.

Last year, Nahon emphasized the importance of Network Gatekeeping Theory and expressed appreciation for the recognition her work has gained by such prominent scholars as those invited to attended the Annenberg Workshop.

"I was honored to be included and inspired by their reaction to my presentation. It's been useful to be at the UW iSchool, while developing Network Gatekeeping Theory, because [iSchool Associate Professor] Cheryl Metoyer's work began the research on gatekeepers. Its development since then has primarily been as a metaphor. I've tried to develop it theoretically in a network context: in networks, gatekeepers don't only provide access, it's also about information control - gatekeepers facilitate, they connect and link, they don't just control access to the 'gate'."

Nahon's paper can be viewed via this direct link, while the entire volume of the International Journal of Communication can be viewed here. Her personal website provides more information about her work.