Network Analysis

Description

This project presents a comprehensive network analysis of Reddit community interactions, examining user engagement patterns, structural dynamics, and the influence of super users within online communities. Using real Reddit data consisting of 18,971 posts and 22,863 comments, this analysis reveals critical insights into how online communities function, the role of highly connected users, and the relationship between expertise-driven content and interactive engagement. The research focuses on direct user interactions (post-comment relationships) while filtering out bots, moderators, and self-interactions to maintain data integrity and provide meaningful insights into genuine user-to-user engagement patterns.

Primary Research Questions

Activity Fluctuations: What drives changes in network activity over time? Super User Impact: How do highly connected users influence community engagement? Network Dependency: How reliant is the community on its core users for structural integrity? Rich Club Dynamics: Do super users interact primarily among themselves or with the broader community? Expertise vs. Interaction: Are expertise-driven contributions more influential than interactive engagement?

Key Research Objectives

Temporal Analysis: Examine posting patterns and activity fluctuations over time Structural Analysis: Identify and analyze the largest strongly connected component (LCC) Influence Measurement: Quantify the impact of super users on network dynamics Community Resilience: Assess network sensitivity to key user removal Behavioral Classification: Distinguish between rich club and community-oriented super users

Languages and Utilities Used

• Python

Libraries

• NetworkX (nx)
• Pandas
• NumPy
• JSON
• DateTime
• Matplotlib
• Nxviz
• Plotly

Generated Graphs:

Interaction Network - View 1:


Interaction Network - View 2:


Super Users by Degree:


LSCC of the Interaction Network:


Rich Club Coefficient: