Title: A review and analysis of literature on netnography research

Authors: Michael Bartl; Vijai Kumar Kannan; Hanna Stockinger

Addresses: Peter Pribilla Foundation (TUM), Center for Leading Innovation and Cooperation (CLIC), HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, D-04109 Leipzig, Germany; HYVE Science Labs, Schellingstr. 45, 80799 München, Germany ' Hamburg University of Technology, Schwarzenbergstraße 95, D-21073 Hamburg, Germany ' University of Ulm, Helmholtzstrasse 18, D-89081 Ulm, Germany

Abstract: Netnography is a qualitative research method that explores digital tribes and consumer behaviour by means of ethnographic research conducted online. Considering the growing contributions in this research area, this study aims to provide a comprehensive review and analysis of the existing body of academic literature on netnography. This study involves a systematic content, citation, and bibliographic analysis as well as author patterns of 116 articles. The analysis shows an exponential increase of publications over time. Whereas research was primarily driven by a single author in the beginning, netnography is now starting to gain the attention of a growing number of authors. Since the term's introduction in 1997 this study provides a first systematic review of literature on netnography research.

Keywords: netnography; online communities; virtual communities; web based communities; marketing research; literature review; open innovation; social media research; digital tribes; new product development; NPD; new market research; consumer behaviour; consumer research; ethnography.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTMKT.2016.075687

International Journal of Technology Marketing, 2016 Vol.11 No.2, pp.165 - 196

Received: 24 Dec 2014
Accepted: 21 Jul 2015
Published online: 31 Mar 2016 *

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