This is an exploratory study of question and answer (Q&A) communities, which constitute one of the most interesting and pervasive forms of informal knowledge production on the Web. The wide-scale adoption of the Web and of networking in general has led to knowledge production on a scale never seen before. However, the computer and information science research community lacks an understanding of many of the characteristics of Internet-based knowledge production. It has not yet been established which characteristics are important for knowledge production, especially how expertise is arranged within these communities in order to provide adequate information. It is also important to discover which structural characteristics -- such as reward structures, participation rates, and network of interactions -- influence knowledge production or expertise provision. Researchers especially do not understand how cultural differences affect these issues -- from participation, to motivation, to types of interaction, to the likelihood users will remain on the site or change their participation role.
A large number of Q&A forums exist, creating ample opportunities for cultural comparisons within similar topics. The present work is necessarily explorative, as even the measures by which to compare sites are unclear in the research literature, and relatively few cross-cultural studies of online communities exist. While the ultimate goal of this work is to design better systems and online spaces to support people in sharing knowledge and expertise across cultural divides, a better understanding of current use is first required. This project therefore consists of two phases. The first phase investigates a number of Q&A communities empirically to understand their current use and to create metrics for cross-site comparison. The second phase examines key issues believed to be influenced by culture, including evolution of key users, points and incentives, and consistency of participation, and cross-cultural differences.
This work could add substantially to what is understood about Internet-scale communities. It will examine how culture affects the distribution of expertise, knowledge provision, and expertise networks. The network metrics to be developed will help systematize the study of online communities and should find applications in other areas of network science. As such, this exploratory work will lead to the development of a deeper scientific understanding of knowledge production, especially for informal knowledge, across cultures. It could also substantially improve citizens' everyday lives, since Q&A sites are vital for providing immediate, everyday help and information to citizens, and help foster a more productive knowledge economy.
