E-Mail

Network Structures and Maps

Despite the variety of messaging services in wide use, network structures are a common feature that unifies all forms of message exchange. No matter the nature of the message and the service, when one message author replies to the message created by another author, a tie is created from sender to recipient. As each additional e-mail or message post is sent and replies are received, a web of connections of varying strength is created in aggregate. Network structures emerge from the collection of connections created by the exchange of e-mail and other forms of messages. These structures can be analyzed to provide a wealth of social information that can inform important decisions and support interventions.

Summary analyses of e-mail collections show that a few people send many messages, while most others send just a few. Further, some messages are replied to, while most others never get a reply. A network analysis of e-mail collections provides insight into the relative position people occupy within a network of people related by exchanged messages. These network graphs show that some people are at the center of a Web of connections, while others are peripheral. Analyzing e-mail networks can reveal the variety of social roles people play within these message collections. Roles are defined by the distinctive pattern of connections that surrounds each message author. Exploring network maps constructed from message exchanges reveals that a few influential individuals are connected to many others within the core of a group, while a few others may span the gaps between groups. In contrast, the majority of people lack many connections. These observations can be used to help people manage their own e-mail or for organizations to inform personnel hiring and promotion, improve retention, identify key contributors, and spread important messages through a company. Network maps can illuminate clusters of contributors that are created when some people reply to selected people more than to others in the population.

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