International Journal of
Information and Education Technology

Abstract

The ubiquitous nature of the Internet has resulted in an ever increasing use of and reliance upon, online content created through various modes and media. Many contemporary online platforms such as Wikipedia enmesh rich collaboration with extensive content-repositories. However, such online collaborative content-orientated platforms (OCCP) have been criticized for the reliability and quality of the content created and hosted. To this end, research has provided significant insights into the enabling factors for social transparency and trust within these platforms. We expand on these insights through an extensive survey of mechanisms employed in successful and popular OCCPs. We reflect upon the findings of this survey using the lenses of activity theory and legitimate peripheral participation. A framework is synthesized from this discussion, which stresses the importance of the interaction between quality assurance and the attraction of new content; two fundamental, yet potentially conflicting, processes that drive the success of OCCPs.