Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
As we ascertain on the table (see Table
10.2
), there are phases and activities of
Shneiderman's Genex Framework, which have no design features at crowdfunding
platforms. In this way, neither of the crowdfunding platforms studied have design
features referred to the Create phase: (1) visualisation tools to identify association
of ideas, (2) space for experimentation, (3) exemplars from successful experience
and (4) online sections of projects and funding records. The same occurs with the
features included in the Donate phase: (1) press media and social networking media;
(2) Listserv, digital library; and (3) recommendation and selective dissemination of
info services.
As we know, online crowdfunding platforms are evolving continuously. For this
reason, when writing this chapter, the online crowdfunding platforms studied here,
Kickstarter and Indiegogo, allow users to navigate around projects successfully
funded, and it is also possible to see which campaigns are the most funded. On the
other hand, Indiegogo has a newsletter to which users can subscribe.
The work of Yi and Gerbner is articulated from the perspective of a user who
navigates the platform while creating or while thinking about creating an idea or a
project, but it skips the fact that, apart from being oriented to creators, online crowd-
funding platforms are targeted to donors, who will fund the projects. So, there are
many elements that are mainstream in online crowdfunding platforms but not con-
sidered in their proposal.
In this context, we introduce this research. Taking into consideration that online
crowdfunding platforms are environments intended to generate an interaction with
users, and among users interested both in funding the projects and in submitting
projects to be funded, we make an approach from a communicative perspective.
This means that for identifying the features whereby Kickstarter and Indiegogo
engender credibility, trust and engagement on the users, we take into consideration
the different agents involved in the context of the crowdfunding platforms and the
relationships that emerge between them.
10.5
Theoretical Framework and Method Employed
We agree with Rogers and Kincaid's approach (
1981
: 75), when placing communi-
cation as convergence assumption. They highlight the importance of studying how
interaction takes place by pointing out that information sharing creates and defi nes
a relationship between two or more individuals. In other words, it is in the interac-
tions where meaning is placed (Marchiori and Buzzanell
2012
).
Following Rogers and Kincaid, we consider that communicative behaviour
should be studied as a dependent variable in communication research. The authors
made their proposal in comparison with the research where communication was
used as an independent variable to predict dependent variables indicating effects
such as votes, consumer behaviour, violence, etc., variables which were taken by
communication researchers from other disciplines such as political science, market-
ing or psychology.
