Influence of intrinsic motivations on the continuity of scientific knowledge contribution to online knowledge-sharing platforms

Keep posting and following social media profiles about physical therapy, but be aware! A cross-sectional study of social media posts on Instagram and Twitter

BACKGROUND

Social media is established as a communication channel that is useful to disseminate scientific information. While social media can disseminate high quality information, it can also facilitate the spread of false or misleading information. Furthermore, social media is considered a self-promotion environment that can have several aspects related to personal marketing.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically search and review social media posts verifying whether the posts about physical therapy interventions reported sources of information; the presence of aspects suggesting conflicts of interest (COI); whether information was presented to facilitate knowledge acquisition; the reach of information posted; and the use and quality of the cited scientific references.

METHODS

Searches were performed on Instagram and Twitter using #reabilitação for Portuguese posts, and #rehabilitation for English posts. The inclusion criteria were posts including terms related to physical therapy and presenting interventions along with their purposes. The searches and screening processes were performed by at least two independent researchers.

RESULTS

Of 1,145 pre-selected posts, 632 posts were included, of which 14% cited references as source of information, 57% presented potential COI, and 9% facilitated knowledge acquisition. The posts received the mean ± SD of 88 ± 593 likes and profiles had a mean of 5,162 ± 37,240 followers. Considering the posts that cited references, most posts presented consistent information (51%) and 6% presented only positives outcomes (selection bias). Many references were of poor methodological quality (39%).

CONCLUSION

The present study enlightens the fact that most posts on Instagram and Twitter regarding physical therapy interventions did not report or use sources to support the information disseminated. Also, most posts were not created to facilitate knowledge acquisition.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

PROSPERO register database (CRD42021276941).

Dynamics of the social construction of knowledge: an empirical study of Zhihu in China

This study examined how the knowledge market promotes knowledge construction on question-and-answer (Q&A) websites. Data were collected from Zhihu, one of the largest Q&A sites in China. Hierarchical linear modeling was employed to estimate the dynamics of information accumulation, that is, the provision of informative content as factual construction. By employing information accumulation as the objective measure of knowledge construction, we determined that online knowledge construction was facilitated by a competitive marketplace of ideas. In addition, participation, temporal, and discourse features affected the dynamics of information accumulation. In specific, active users contributed significantly less to information accumulation than did ordinary users. Information accumulation shows a naturally decaying process represented as a function of answer order. The time interval between answers at the two preceding time points reduced the informativeness of answers at the subsequent time point. Answers with a higher readability score reduced the informativeness of subsequent answers. The results indicate that knowledge construction on Q&A sites unfolds as a process of mass collaboration among users.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1140/epjds/s13688-022-00346-6.

Employee acceptance of online platforms for knowledge sharing: exploring differences in usage behaviour

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the technology acceptance model’s applicability in understanding employees’ acceptance of online platforms for knowledge sharing in organisations. Specifically, this research explores gender differences in using online platforms for sharing knowledge at the workplace in an emerging market context and the role of individuals’ motivation in online platform usage in organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

A web-based survey was conducted in Vietnam with 290 responses from employees in the banking and insurance industries.

Findings

Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations influenced the perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and online platform usage for knowledge sharing. The results also confirm a significant influence of perceived ease of use directly on knowledge sharing behaviour using online platforms and indirectly via perceived usefulness. Regarding gender differences, perceived ease of use was more salient in women, while men considered perceived usefulness to a greater extent.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides a complete picture of gender, motivation and technology used for knowledge sharing in organisational settings.

Originality/value

This research has provided additional insight into the importance of gender and motivation in technology acceptance. By doing this, this study helps organisations capture the potential of valuable human resources for their competitiveness.