Measuring Information Diffusion in an Online Community.

Author List: Garg, Rajiv; Smith, Michael D.; Telang, Rahul;
Journal of Management Information Systems, 2011, Volume 28, Issue 2, Page 11/1/1938.
Measuring peer influence in social networks is an important business and policy question that has become increasingly salient with the development of globally interconnected information and communication technology networks. However, in spite of the new data sources available today, researchers still face many of the same measurement challenges that have been present in the literature for over four decades: homophily, reflection and selection problems, identifying the source of influence, and determining preexisting knowledge. The goal of this paper is to develop an empirical approach for measuring information diffusion and discovery in online social networks that have these measurement challenges. We develop such an approach and apply it to data collected from 4,000 users of an online music community. We show that peers on such networks significantly increase music discovery. Moreover, we demonstrate how future research can use this method to measure information discovery and diffusion using data from other online social networks.
Keywords: data mining; empirical research; information diffusion; new content discovery; online music community; peer influence; social influence
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#234 0.206 social networks influence presence interactions network media networking diffusion implications individuals people results exchange paper sites evidence self-disclosure important examine
#130 0.175 online users active paper using increasingly informational user data internet overall little various understanding empirical despite lead cascades help availability
#80 0.142 organizations new information technology develop environment challenges core competencies management environmental technologies development emerging opportunities levels based change business technical
#86 0.095 methods information systems approach using method requirements used use developed effective develop determining research determine assessment useful series critical existing
#37 0.084 intelligence business discovery framework text knowledge new existing visualization based analyzing mining genetic algorithms related techniques large proposed novel artificial
#222 0.072 research researchers framework future information systems important present agenda identify areas provide understanding contributions using literature studies paper potential review
#263 0.064 instrument measurement factor analysis measuring measures dimensions validity based instruments construct measure conceptualization sample reliability development develop responses assess use