Lynn, Theo ORCID: 0000-0001-9284-7580, Rosati, Pierangelo ORCID: 0000-0002-6070-0426, Binesh, Nair and Mac an Bhaird, Ciarán ORCID: 0000-0003-2863-3398 (2020) An exploratory data analysis of the #Crowdfunding network on Twitter. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market and Complexity, 6 (3). ISSN 2199-8531
Abstract
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
Metadata
Item Type: | Article (Published) |
---|---|
Refereed: | Yes |
Additional Information: | Article number: 80 |
Uncontrolled Keywords: | crowdfunding; entrepreneurship; social network analysis; twitter; social media; strangers; computer as a social actor; CASA |
Subjects: | Business > Finance Business > Innovation |
DCU Faculties and Centres: | DCU Faculties and Schools > DCU Business School Research Initiatives and Centres > Irish Centre for Cloud Computing and Commerce (IC4) |
Publisher: | MDPI |
Official URL: | https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/joitmc6030080 |
Copyright Information: | © 2020 The Authors. Open Access. (CC-BY-4.0) |
ID Code: | 25940 |
Deposited On: | 01 Jun 2021 14:58 by Pierangelo Rosati . Last Modified 01 Jun 2021 15:15 |
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