Sharratt, Mark, and Abel Usoro. "Understanding Knowledge‑Sharing in Online Communities of Practice." Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management 1.2 (2003): pp18-27.

This paper shifts the perception of Information Technology from merely being a knowledge repository to a collaborative tool that fosters the creation and growth of online communities (OLCs). These communities enhance and extend traditional communities of practice. The core of the paper is to understand what drives members of these online communities to share their knowledge and expertise. By reviewing existing research, the paper proposes a theoretical model identifying factors that influence knowledge-sharing behaviors in OLCs, aiming to deepen the understanding of what motivates individuals to contribute to the collective knowledge base of these communities.