On the Development and Application of a Framework for Understanding the Properties and Information Quality of Online Reputation Systems

Online reputation systems were created to enable buyers and sellers participating in online transactions to evaluate the reputations of potential trading partners. These systems were then expanded to additional domains targeting the evaluation of encounters with professionals such as university professors, teachers, and physicians. This paper examines key properties of two online reputations systems: eBay’s Feedback Forum and the Rate My Professors online reputation system. A framework for understanding the information quality of online reputation systems is then developed and applied. Implications for designers, teachers, and scholars are discussed.