Grant: Engage Grants Program
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
$25,000.00
Quality Metrics and Visualization of Verbatim Text to Improve Forum Moderation
FY 2017-18
Summary
VerticalScope, Inc. owns and operates one of the most highly visited networks of online forums, which consistsof approximately 1200 sites representing social communities across a diverse set of verticals (categories),including automotive, powersports, pets, technology, collectibles, and health. These online discussion forumsattract thousands of active discussions every day regarding products and services from a variety of businesses.Therefore, VerticalScope is in an unique position to glean insights from the vast amount of rich unstructuredinformation generated by its forum users.In this research project Dr. Christopher Collins and his team at the Vialab at UOIT will devise new measures ofthe engagement of users in online discussion forums, and the quality of the discussion taking place. Thesemeasures will then be made available to VerticalScope analysts using custom-designed web-based datavisualization tools. The tools created in this project will allow VerticalScope to monitor the health ofdiscussion forums in order to detect, amongst millions of posts, sources of user dissatisfaction which may leadto loss of participation. This will provide an opportunity for interventions to retain users. The visualizationtools will also help VerticalScope discover users who are contributing positively to discussions, in order topromote these discussions to the front page of a forum and increase engagement and participation.
Program
Engage Grants Program
Location
Ontario, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
513937-2017
Name nom
Collins, Christopher
Department département
Science, Faculty of
Organization id
19222
Institution établissement
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Province en
Ontario
Province fr
Ontario
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2017
Competition year année de concours
2017
Award amount
25000
Program id
EGP
Program name en
Engage Grants Program
Program name fr
Programme de subventions d'engagement partenariat
Group en
Research partnerships programs
Group fr
Programmes de partenariat
Committee code
1553
Committee name en
Ontario Internal Decision Committee
Committee name fr
Comité de décision interne pour l'Ontario
Area of application code
800
Area of application group en
Information and communication services
Area of application group fr
Services d'information et de télécommunications
Area of application en
Information and communication services
Area of application fr
Services d'information et de télécommunications
Research subject code
2700
Research subject group en
Information technology
Research subject group fr
Technologie de l'information
Research subject en
Information technology
Research subject fr
Technologie de l'information
Partie
1
Nb partie
1
Application title
Quality Metrics and Visualization of Verbatim Text to Improve Forum Moderation
Keyword
NSERC
Application summary
VerticalScope, Inc. owns and operates one of the most highly visited networks of online forums, which consistsof approximately 1200 sites representing social communities across a diverse set of verticals (categories),including automotive, powersports, pets, technology, collectibles, and health. These online discussion forumsattract thousands of active discussions every day regarding products and services from a variety of businesses.Therefore, VerticalScope is in an unique position to glean insights from the vast amount of rich unstructuredinformation generated by its forum users.In this research project Dr. Christopher Collins and his team at the Vialab at UOIT will devise new measures ofthe engagement of users in online discussion forums, and the quality of the discussion taking place. Thesemeasures will then be made available to VerticalScope analysts using custom-designed web-based datavisualization tools. The tools created in this project will allow VerticalScope to monitor the health ofdiscussion forums in order to detect, amongst millions of posts, sources of user dissatisfaction which may leadto loss of participation. This will provide an opportunity for interventions to retain users. The visualizationtools will also help VerticalScope discover users who are contributing positively to discussions, in order topromote these discussions to the front page of a forum and increase engagement and participation.
