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Recurrence quantification analysis of Q&A behavior from the perspective of explicit and tacit knowledge – an empirical study based on Zhihu's hashtags

Xin Feng (School of Economics and Management, Information Center for Military and Civilian Collaboration of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, PR China)
Xu Wang (School of Economics and Management, Information Center for Military and Civilian Collaboration of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, PR China)
Tianjiao Wang (Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, PR China)

Aslib Journal of Information Management

ISSN: 2050-3806

Article publication date: 7 December 2021

Issue publication date: 16 May 2022

330

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to investigate the time structure characteristics of collaborative knowledge production behaviors in Q&A (question-and-answer) communities for explicit and tacit knowledge, and systematically investigate the supply side and the demand side of knowledge production.

Design/methodology/approach

Taking Zhihu as the research object, using the methods of recurrence plot and recurrence quantification analysis, this paper analyzes the recursive characteristics of the motion trajectories of the three behavioral sequences of questioning, answering, and discussion, qualitatively and quantitatively analyzing the generation and evolution mechanism of explicit and tacit knowledge.

Findings

The results show that compared with the demand-side behavior sequence, the supply-side behavior sequence exhibits higher stability, complexity and periodicity. Compared with the tacit knowledge topics, the demand-side behavior sequence of the explicit knowledge topics shows stronger nonlinearity, and the supply-side behavior sequence shows lower complexity.

Originality/value

The research conclusions provide preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of the recurrence plot method in distinguishing different types of knowledge production behaviors and have important application value for the “crowdsourcing” knowledge generation and identification under the knowledge economy and the sustainable development of the socialized question-and-answer community.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11905042), Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (No. G2021203011), Project of Social Science Development of Hebei Province (No. 20210501003; No. 20210301103), Project of Social Science Development of Hebei Province (No. 20210501003; No. 20210301103).

Citation

Feng, X., Wang, X. and Wang, T. (2022), "Recurrence quantification analysis of Q&A behavior from the perspective of explicit and tacit knowledge – an empirical study based on Zhihu's hashtags", Aslib Journal of Information Management, Vol. 74 No. 3, pp. 377-398. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-04-2021-0122

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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