Abstract
Scholars have long studied the genesis of knowledge in organizations and communities. These entities are increasingly being superseded by virtual counterparts, leading to the emergence of online communities. While the information systems (IS) literature covers many aspects of how and why online community members contribute knowledge, less attention has been paid to the nature and rigor of its measurement. In response, this study reviews the empirical literature on knowledge contribution in online communities with the aim of assessing the current state of its measurement. Insights into direct and indirect measurement approaches are evaluated and three primary categories of measures are identified—volume, quality, and other. A typology of online communities is proposed to investigate measurement differences between community types. We find evidence that different theoretical perspectives inform measurement in different types of online communities. The paper concludes by outlining limitations and future research directions.
Recommended Citation
Wigdor, Ariel D.; Hess, Traci J.; and Zou, Zoe, "A Review of Knowledge Contribution Measurement in Online Communities" (2019). AMCIS 2019 Proceedings. 4.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2019/virtual_communities/virtual_communities/4
A Review of Knowledge Contribution Measurement in Online Communities
Scholars have long studied the genesis of knowledge in organizations and communities. These entities are increasingly being superseded by virtual counterparts, leading to the emergence of online communities. While the information systems (IS) literature covers many aspects of how and why online community members contribute knowledge, less attention has been paid to the nature and rigor of its measurement. In response, this study reviews the empirical literature on knowledge contribution in online communities with the aim of assessing the current state of its measurement. Insights into direct and indirect measurement approaches are evaluated and three primary categories of measures are identified—volume, quality, and other. A typology of online communities is proposed to investigate measurement differences between community types. We find evidence that different theoretical perspectives inform measurement in different types of online communities. The paper concludes by outlining limitations and future research directions.