Towards a design theory for online communities

Online communities are increasingly important in modern social life. Yet, the diverse collection of guidelines that have directed online community design may not be keeping pace with significant changes in the operating environment of these systems. This paper collects and distills the most relevant of these guidelines and describes their instantiation in a design artifact foundational to a larger design science research project. The core contributions include the distilled guidelines, a detailed account of the mechanics of their translation into practice, and a framework for doing design science research in online communities. Categories and Subject Descriptors H.5.3 [Information Interfaces and Presentation]: Group and Organization Interfaces – Theory and models General Terms Design, Human Factors, Standardization, Theory Keywords Online Communities, Design Guidelines, Design Science

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2009
• Where: DESRIST
• Authors: David Gurzick, Wayne G. Lutters
• Keywords: Design Science, Design Science Research, DESRIST 2009, Education, Online Communities