Local experts and online review sites

Sites such as Yelp and Yahoo! Local provide a valuable source of knowledge about both new and familiar places. However, they represent an indirect source of local knowledge. Many are likely to prefer learning from the people who know their neighborhoods best: local experts. In this study of online review websites (ORWs), we examine attitudes about local knowledge and personal investment in local neighborhoods. We explore how these and other beliefs about local neighborhoods and local content may be related to interactions with ORWs. Finally, we argue that our findings suggest several important directions for future research and design investigations.