This article is devoted to the analysis of the peculiarities of empirical research in Russia consistent with the methodology of network analysis. The article gives deals with software items and analytical cases, which show the application of the network analysis for both fully developed social networks and communities, as well as for identification and analysis of the network structures within the conventional channel of authority. The field of network research in Russia is circumscribed by the online space due to the availability and diversity of ways to identify, extract and record network data, which impedes transposition of online research findings into the whole social space. Besides, the authors of the article put a particular emphasis on the underworked area of mathematic methods used for network analysis, which is essential for a detailed interpretation of findings of the applied network research. The article also touches upon the issue of the forms of network analysis: principal form of network analysis in Russia is a structural network analysis, which allows an ultimate upgrade to network research.