Network Structure and User Roles of a Crowdsourcing Community – The Context of Social Innovations for a Development Project

Abstract

The principles of crowdsourcing are increasingly applied in social contexts like development projects. In this study we explore a crowdsourcing community, which aims to enhance conditions in low income communities. We investigate the network structures of the community and detect behavioral pattern and user roles based on participation behavior for this specific context. Overall, the observed community shows a high level of collaboration and reciprocal dialogue. On the individual level we located four different user roles distinct in their interaction and contribution behavior. So called “collaborators” are considered as unique user role in an online community within a social context. We contribute to the theory of crowdsourcing by illustrating that context and purpose of crowdsourcing initiatives may influence the behavioral pattern of users. Further we add insights to the junctures between crowdsourcing and social innovation in the context of open development.