=====Making blockmodeling easier: A GUI for the R package ''blockmodeling''=====
A GUI for the package ''[[blockmodeling:blockmodeling_r_package|blockmodeling]]'' has published for the first time in May 2022 after several months of work under my direction. This //ad hoc// R-Shiny GUI is meant to help users access the main functionalities of the package. However, it also allows to use other functions of the R language for statistical computing and some other packages for network analysis. 

The app’s many options and ease of use make blockmodeling and basic network analysis in R easier to execute and understand than via command line. In fact, the GUI requires no coding experience, allowing researchers and laymen to access visualisations and information about blockmodeling in a simple way. Since the focus is on blockmodeling, the breadth of network analyses than can be executed is arguably not too extended. Thus, the app can find an apt use in a graduate class in quantitative methods in social science as well as in narrower courses on the clustering of networks.

=====Versions=====

The app is available in several versions:
  * **R package** from [[https://github.com/FATelarico/BlockmodelingGUI|GitHub]] and [[https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6554608|Zenodo]];
  * **Stand-alone executable** for Windows XP or newer (does not require R) available on [[https://github.com/FATelarico/GUI-Generalised-Blockmodeling/releases/tag/v.1.8.3-Installers|GitHub]] in two flavours:
    * Fully executable, which runs from a .exe file. [[https://github.com/FATelarico/GUI-Generalised-Blockmodeling/releases/download/v.1.8.3-Installers/GUI.for.Generalised.Blockmodeling.of.Valued.Networks.exe|Retrievable  here]]
    * Scripted, which runs from a visual-basic script [[https://github.com/FATelarico/GUI-Generalised-Blockmodeling/releases/download/v.1.8.3-Installers/GUI.for.Generalised.Blockmodeling.of.Valued.Networks.vbs.exe|Retrievable  here]]
  * **Source code**, for reviewing, testing and contributing on [[https://github.com/FATelarico/GUI-Generalised-Blockmodeling|GitHub]]

=====Installation as an R package =====
To install the GUI directly from R, run the following code:
  - Ordered List ItemCheck if you need to install the `devtools` package\\ ''if(!require(devtools))install.packages('devtools')''
  - Ordered List ItemInstall the package from this repository \\ ''devtools::install_github('FATelarico/BlockmodelingGUI')''

=====Maintainer and co-author=====
Telarico, Fabio Ashtar\\
Faculty of Social Sciences\\
University of Ljubljana\\
email: Fabio-Ashtar{dot}Telarico{at}fdv{dot}uni-lj{dot}si

[[https://fatelarico.github.io/|Personal website]]