An email address is a great way to contact people, and it's also an easy way to lose touch with people. Change an email address, and the person can't contact you online anymore. Block an email address and the person can't bug you anymore. Lose an email address, and you may lose vital information. Finding an email address requires a little bit of research and verification to see if it's correct, but it's not an impossible task.
Instructions
Find Out Who an Email Address Belongs To
1. Email the person if you have a potentially correct address, and ask her who she is. Be specific about why you'd like to know this information. (ex. "I'm writing an article about ADHD, and I was informed that you would be a qualified physician to use as a source.) Make sure to state your reason for contacting this person immediately, especially with the amount of spam the average person gets. She won't read through your entire email before you get to the point.
2. Look at the name next to the email address. Usually when people fill in user information, they fill in their full name. However, be cognizant that some people have the same name so don't assume that because the names are similar, this is the person you're looking for. The odds of the person you're looking for knowing the person who emailed you may be a little slimmer though.
3. Google the person's name with the keyword(s) "email" or "email address." If this person has a website or left a comment somewhere with an email address, this information may show up. If you know where the person works, a work email address may be more accurate.
4. Browse email directories (ex. Yahoo.com) for this person's email address. If you find duplicate names, refer to Step 1 in contacting that person. Again, remember that some names are common. It's easy to find duplicate email addresses and duplicate names. Make sure to verify your information before assuming the directory has the person you're looking for.
5. Ask a person who associates with the person you're looking for. That person may be willing to give you an email address if you can provide a good explanation for why you need it. Of course there are other people who will give you an email address with no explanation at all.
