Comparing crowdsourcing initiatives: Toward a typology development

AbstractAlthough numerous studies have examined the crowdsourcing phenomenon, little consensus exists regarding the classification of distinct types of activities within crowdsourcing. In this study, we identify and classify 12 crowdsourcing initiatives that comprise the key categories of crowdsourcing: Crowdpedia, Fansourcing, Crowdnetworking, Crowdsharing, Crowdvoting, Crowdfunding, Ideation, Open Innovation, User Innovation, Scisourcing, Crowd‐Relief, and Open Source Software. Our main objective is to establish the similarities and differences between basic crowdsourcing initiatives and develop a typology based on nine crowdsourcing dimensions that we develop. This crowdsourcing typology will provide a roadmap on which researchers can anchor their research and practitioners can make more informed decisions about which category of crowdsourcing they should seek. Copyright © 2016 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.