Survey on Knowledge Sharing in Online Communities

This survey intends to explore online communities as knowledge and information exchanges. For this purpose, the phrase �online community� will be used to include various forms of virtual communities, online networks, message boards and forums.

This survey is divided into four sections and would take about 5-10 minutes to complete. For more information on the subject of this survey please refer here. Should you have any problems or any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]

The information obtained will be kept confidential and anonymous and will be used for study purposes only.
Thank you for your time.

Internet Usage and Information and Knowledge Sources

1. How long have you been using the Internet?
   • 1-2 years
   • 3-4 years
   • 5-6 years
   • 7 years or more
2. How often do you go online?
   • I am online all the time
   • A few times a day
   • Daily
   • 2-3 times a week
   • Weekly
   • A few times a month
3. How important is the use of Internet in terms of obtaining information and knowledge related to your professional interests?
   • I rely heavily on the Internet for relevant information and knowledge
   • It is an important source for relevant information and knowledge but I have other sources as well
   • I seldom use the Internet to seek relevant information and knowledge
   • I do not need to use the Internet to seek relevant information and knowledge
4. Importance of Various Information and Knowledge Sources
   When searching for information and knowledge on a topic, you may consult various sources. Please state how important these sources of information and knowledge are to you.
   1. Friends/ Colleagues/ Family
      Very Unimportant Fairly Unimportant Neither Fairly Important Very Important
   2. Subject Expert (e.g. a known expert in a certain area)
      Very Unimportant Fairly Unimportant Neither Fairly Important Very Important
   3. Newspapers
      Very Unimportant Fairly Unimportant Neither Fairly Important Very Important
   4. Online News Sites (e.g. BBC Online)
      Very Unimportant Fairly Unimportant Neither Fairly Important Very Important
   5. Magazines/ Trade Magazines
      Very Unimportant Fairly Unimportant Neither Fairly Important Very Important
   6. Journals (Academic and Professional)
      Very Unimportant Fairly Unimportant Neither Fairly Important Very Important
   7. Reference Books (e.g. 'Learning XML' reference book)
      Very Unimportant Fairly Unimportant Neither Fairly Important Very Important
   8. Specific Information Sites (e.g. LonelyPlanet.com for travel advice and information)
      Very Unimportant Fairly Unimportant Neither Fairly Important Very Important
   9. Online Communities (e.g. WebDeveloper Forums, an online community and discussion forum for information and advice on web development)
      Very Unimportant Fairly Unimportant Neither Fairly Important Very Important
   10. Search engines (e.g. Google.com)
       Very Unimportant Fairly Unimportant Neither Fairly Important Very Important
5. What determines your choice of information and knowledge source?

Online Communities: Membership and Usage

1. Are you a member/ or use an online community?
   • Yes, I am a member
   • No, I am not a member but do use/ have used online communities
   • No, I am not a member and do not use online communities
   •  
   • If you are not a member of and do not use online communities, please state the reason why and then continue with Online Communities: Opinions, Question 1.
   •  
2. Please state which online communities you use or are a member of and indicate the type of community it is.
   • Community 1
   • Type
   • Community based on Location (e.g. Alumni, Town)
   • Community based on Similar Interests (e.g. mountain climbers)
   • Community based on Similar Professional Interests (e.g. Web Developers)
   • Community based on membership of a Professional Organisation
   • Others
   •  
   • Community 2
   • Type
   • Community based on Location (e.g. Alumni, Town)
   • Community based on Similar Interests (e.g. mountain climbers)
   • Community based on Similar Professional Interests (e.g. Web Developers)
   • Community based on membership of a Professional Organisation
   • Others
   •  
   • Community 3
   • Type
   • Community based on Location (e.g. Alumni, Town)
   • Community based on Similar Interests (e.g. mountain climbers)
   • Community based on Similar Professional Interests (e.g. Web Developers)
   • Community based on membership of a Professional Organisation
   • Others

Online Communities: Opinions

1. Quality of Information and Knowledge in online communities
   Please state whether you agree or disagree with the statements
   1. I am able to get answers for specific questions
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
   2. Most of the information I get from online communities cannot be trusted and is often inaccurate
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
   3. In an online community, I have access to expert knowledge when I need it
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
   4. Information obtained from such communities is not as detailed as I need it to be
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
   5. I like using online communities because they enable me to get fast responses to problems that I have
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
   6. The opinion of others do not help to solve my specific problem, problems just aren't the same
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
   7. Knowledge gained from an online community is often within a certain context, which is useful because we all share the same interests
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
2. Sense of Community and Sharing in online communities
   Please state whether you agree or disagree with the statements
   1. An online community gives me access various ideas and opinions from people with various backgrounds and knowledge
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
   2. People are actually reluctant to share their knowledge, so I find that the information and knowledge available in online communities not really useful
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
   3. I am comfortable sharing my own knowledge within the online community
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
   4. Too many people discussing a certain issue or problem is counter productive - online communities do not help people innovate
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
   5. In an online community of like minded people, we are able to exchange practice related knowledge
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
   6. People do not actually like helping others and are contributing to the community for personal gains
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
   7. I believe that sharing the knowledge we have, would help advance the knowledge of the community as a whole
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
3. Limitations and Barriers to Sharing Knowledge in an online community
   Please state whether you agree or disagree with the statements
   1. I usually just go in to look for answers, and do not feel that I have to contribute
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
   2. A lot of people know more than me, I feel out of place and prefer to remain on the sidelines
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
   3. It is difficult to find the exact information or solution to the problem that I need, so online communities are not really for me
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
   4. Participating is too time consuming
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
   5. People in online communities have different agendas and I don't think this works
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
   6. I prefer discussing with 'real' people, I get a lot more information and knowledge that way
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
   7. There is no real knowledge being exchanged, I can obtain such information and knowledge from reading and my own research
      Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree Strongly Agree
4. Please state how important these features are to you in an online community, in relation to gaining information/ knowledge on specific topics and issues
   1. Privacy
      Very Unimportant Fairly Unimportant Neither Fairly Important Very Important
   2. Ability to communicate personally with specific members - email or personal messaging
      Very Unimportant Fairly Unimportant Neither Fairly Important Very Important
   3. Members' profile in order to identify and access experts
      Very Unimportant Fairly Unimportant Neither Fairly Important Very Important
   4. Archived message boards and categorised content
      Very Unimportant Fairly Unimportant Neither Fairly Important Very Important
   5. Search facility
      Very Unimportant Fairly Unimportant Neither Fairly Important Very Important
   6. Informational content on topics related to the interests of the community
      Very Unimportant Fairly Unimportant Neither Fairly Important Very Important
   7. Recognition for contribution and ideas
      Very Unimportant Fairly Unimportant Neither Fairly Important Very Important
   8. Regular activities whether offline or online to ensure that the community is always active and that there are new ideas and topics for discussion
      Very Unimportant Fairly Unimportant Neither Fairly Important Very Important
5. What are your main motivations for participating/ referring to an online community?
6. What, in your opinion, can be done to increase participation and usefulness of such a community?

Background

1. You are
   • Male
   • Female
2. Age
   • 15-24 years 25-34 years 35-44 years 45-54 years 55-64 years 65 years and above
3. Profession
•  
• Job Level N/A Non-executive Junior Executive Senior Executive Middle Management Senior Management
4. In the last 7 years you have mostly lived in:
   •  
   • Please Select Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samon Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Columbia Comoros Congo Congo, Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote d'Ivoire Croatia (Hrvatska) Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard and McDonald Islands Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, North Korea, South Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Man, Isle of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Kitts And Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent And The Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka St Helena St Pierre and Miquelon Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Syria Taiwan Region Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad And Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks And Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City State (Holy See) Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands (British) Virgin Islands (US) Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Yugoslavia Zambia Zimbabwe