Information Sharing of the Virtual Community

Information sharing is a natural and common behavior, which happens when a person passes on information he/she finds to others and/or exchanges information with others. Information sharing can occur when receiving information that is expected or unexpected. The Internet has helped the development of virtual communities, which increases greatly the opportunities for information sharing. When reviewing related literature in the field of Library and Information Science, the authors found that research studies on information behavior are developing steadily, yet with more emphasis on different client groups and contexts, few are focused on information sharing. This paper aims to review and synthesize literature with an interdisciplinary nature to increase the understanding of information sharing in the virtual community. Based on the analysis of the literature, virtual communities can be categorized into various types; common interests and goals is the most important factor for members to stay in and contribute to the community. Also, vibrant interaction among the virtual community is critical to the development of the virtual community.