Zhang, Jason Shuo, et al. "Understanding the diverging user trajectories in highly-related online communities during the COVID-19 pandemic." Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media. Vol. 15. 2021.

This paper explores the user trajectories and differences between two Reddit communities, /r/ChinaFlu and /r/Coronavirus, which emerged in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzing user data from the beginning of the pandemic until the end of September 2020, the study finds initial similarities between new users of both communities that later diverge in terms of language use and membership loyalty. A significant movement of users from /r/ChinaFlu to /r/Coronavirus in February is identified, with this shift being predictable based on users' activity in other subreddits. The research highlights how these communities developed distinct identities over the course of the pandemic and emphasizes the role of existing online communities in understanding the dynamics of such emergences.