{"id":153,"date":"2026-05-05T17:26:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T15:26:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru319\/?p=153"},"modified":"2026-05-05T17:31:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T15:31:53","slug":"visual-network-mapping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru319\/visual-network-mapping\/","title":{"rendered":"Visual Network Mapping"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

According to Dron & Anderson (2014), “A network…consists of nodes (the points on the network) and edges (the connections between them)”. The following map represents how I perceive my own network of relationships. To create this visual, I initially experimented with the Graph View in Obsidian using the Extended Graph plugin. While I managed to sketch the first set of groups, the resulting representation lacked clarity: many connections overlapped and repositioning nodes resulted in erratic movements. I then switched to Adobe Illustrator and benefited from its straightforward mapping process despite a steeper learning curve for an occasional user like me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To determine the structure of my network, instead of trying to extract a list of contacts from a digital platform, I reflected on the people to which I feel meaningfully connected today and organized them into broader groups. To make the map three-dimensional, I used node size to represent an estimation of the number of individuals within each group and the width of the direct (black) connections to indicate the frequency of my interactions with them. In addition, the grey connections represent indirect ties between other groups. This way, the map does more than locate me within my network; it also provides a visual clue on the nature of my interactions across that network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What appeared to me while creating the map is that my stronger and more active ties are concentrated with a relatively small number of groups. In contrast, larger groups do not necessarily mean more frequent interactions. Another interesting finding is that most of these groups are directly connected to each other, which could confirm Milgram’s (1967) “small world” theory, suggesting that most people are connected through a small number of intermediaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, this map\u2014being a temporary snapshot\u2014does not reveal how my network has evolved over time. For instance, a group of former schoolmates, which once held a more central place in my network, has gradually diminished over time in profit to groups coming from my professional sphere. In contrast, some groups, such as my family, have maintained a consistent presence in my network. While predicting a potential evolution to my network might be speculative, I can anticipate some positive shifts with some specific groups, such as the MALAT Cohort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transparency statement : AI assistance was used for grammar checking, phrasing, and final language polish.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dron, J., & Anderson, T. (2014). Teaching Crowds. ACP – Athabasca University Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Milgram, S. (1967). The small world problem. Psychology Today, 2(1), 60\u201367.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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