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Why Bother? Examining the motivations of users in large-scale crowd-powered online initiatives

This study examines the motivations of participants in networked, large-scale content production and research a paradigm of distributed work magnified by the Internet. This has come to be called crowdsourcing.

The approach taken in examining the crowdsourcing paradigm is of retrospection, with a study focused on observed examples and existing theories. Thirteen cases of existing crowdsourcing sites were selected for study, from a larger sample of 300. These cases were coded by their site properties and analyzed, identifying possible motivational mechanisms. Subsequent interviews with eight medium to heavy Internet users further explored these features, with an emphasis on ranking relative importance of various motivators.

This study concludes with a series of recommendations on motivating crowds in such projects, emphasizing among others the importance of topical interest, ease of participation, and appeals to the individuals knowledge. In addition to base motivators, a number of support, or secondary, motivators are outlined.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:AEU.10048/1370
Date11 1900
CreatorsOrganisciak, Piotr
ContributorsGiven, Lisa M. (School of Library and Information Studies), Given, Lisa M. (School of Library and Information Studies), Rockwell, Geoffrey (Department of Philosophy), Ruecker, Stan (Department of English and Film Studies)
Source SetsLibrary and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format1382223 bytes, application/pdf

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