An exploratory data analysis of the #crowdfunding network on Twitter

Artikel

Together, social media and crowdsourcing can help entrepreneurs to attract external finance and early-stage customers. This paper investigates the characteristics and discourse of an issue-centered public on Twitter organized around the hashtag #crowdfunding through the lens of social network theory. Using a dataset of 2,732,144 tweets published during a calendar year, we use exploratory data analysis to generate insights and hypotheses on who the users in the #crowdfunding network are, what they share, and how they are connected to each other. In order to do so, we adopt a range of descriptive, content, network analytics techniques. The results suggest that platforms, crowdfunders, and other actors who derive income from the crowdfunding economy play a key role in creating the network. Furthermore, latent ties (strangers) play a direct role in disseminating information, investing, and sending signals to platforms that further raises campaign prominence. We also introduce a new type of social tie, the "computer as a social actor", previously unaddressed in entrepreneurial network literature, which play a role in sending signals to both platforms and networks. Our results suggest that homophily is a key driver for creating network sub-communities built around specific platforms, project types, domains, or geography.

Angaben zum Objekt

• Sprache: Englisch

Verweise und Beziehungen

• Erschienen in: Journal: Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity ; ISSN: 2199-8531 ; Volume: 6 ; Year: 2020 ; Issue: 3 ; Pages: 1-22 ; Basel: MDPI

Klassifikation und Themen

• Klassifikation: Management
• Thema: crowdfunding ; entrepreneurship ; social network analysis ; twitter ; social media ; strangers ; computer as a social actor ; CASA

Beteiligte, Orts- und Zeitangaben

• Ereignis: Geistige Schöpfung
• (wer): Lynn, Theo ; Rosati, Pierangelo ; Nair, Binesh ; Mac an Bhaird, Ciarán
• Ereignis: Veröffentlichung
• (wer): MDPI
• (wo): Basel
• (wann): 2020

Weitere Informationen

• DOI: doi:10.3390/joitmc6030080
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/241466
• Letzte Aktualisierung: 10.03.2025, 11:43 MEZ