Akkinen, Miia. "Conceptual foundations of online communities." (2008).

This working paper serves as a foundational guide for understanding online communities, summarizing existing research and offering various classifications. It delves into why consumers join and remain part of these communities, proposing an integrated model called the value-interest framework. This framework combines multiple theories to examine consumer motives from various perspectives, suggesting that while the integrated model provides a holistic view, analyzing motives from individual perspectives can also yield valuable insights.