Knowledge generation and sharing in online communities: current trends and future directions

Advances in technology and communication platforms have enabled the open exchange of knowledge within online communities. In these communities individuals voluntarily share information for many reasons, including to help others; due to a sense of ownership and belonging; and a belief in generalized reciprocity. The affordances of these platforms, such as openness beyond geographic and social boundaries and collaborative filtering, alter interactions on these platforms and contribute to shaping the completeness and accuracy of information shared. Yet offline social processes, such as homophily, social influence, and social identity, persist with positive and negative impacts on information quality and behavior. Because of the widespread use of online communities as a source of knowledge that affects decision making it has become imperative to understand how knowledge is generated, shared and understood in these communities.