Searching for Expert or Peer Advice in Online Forums

Online forums sponsored by electronic networks of practice provide a valuable resource for information seekers, where posted questions may be answered by both subject matter experts and ordinary (peer) forum users. Extant research on the relative influence of these two forum information sources has produced equivocal results, finding that experts are preferred in some circumstances and peers in others. This study applied a qualitative approach using an open-ended survey to better understand preferences for peer or expert advice on online forums. Open, axial, and content coding of 97 survey responses revealed 10 distinct preference characteristics for peer advice and six for expert advice, with personal experience emerging as the leading characteristic for peer input and specialized knowledge for expert input. Codes were further classified into an organizing conceptual framework of person, problem, or solution dimensions, and a cluster analysis revealed common profiles information seekers use for selecting advice on forums.