Understanding trust within online discussion boards: Trust formation in the absence of reputation systems

Abstract

Trust plays an important role when it comes to sharing and picking up information on the Internet. Even more so when advice is being exchanged and decisions are being made based on what at first sight seems to be interpersonal communication between people who do not know each other. Research concerned with the role of trust in making an assessment of online user-generated information, often focuses on online reputation systems rather than on the way individuals try to evaluate peer recommendations themselves. In this paper the attention goes out to the construction of trust when people are looking for advice and know-how via online textual discussion boards. The study offers an understanding of online trust by defining the concept of trust, by formulating a trust typology - based on both the object of trust and the stages within a trust relationship - and by identifying trust antecedents. All this while keeping a close eye on the context of online forums and their users.