Understanding Customer Opinions From Online Discussion Forums: A Design Science Framework. Issue 4 (2nd October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee, Joyce Yi-Hui; Yang, Chin-Sheng; Chen, Shih-Yun
• Is Part Of: Engineering management journal. Volume 29:Issue 4(2017)
• Page Start: 235
• Page End: 243
• Publication Date: 2017-10-02
• Subjects: Content Analysis -- Design Science Approach -- Online Discussion Forum -- Product Innovation -- Social Media -- User-Generated Content; Continuous Improvement -- Innovation and New Product Development -- Systems Engineering -- Technology Management; Engineering -- Management -- Periodicals; Engineering -- Management; Periodicals; 620.0068
• DOI: 10.1080/10429247.2017.1367217
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1042-9247

Abstract

Abstract: Online discussion forums, which are full of user-generated content including user opinions and comments, are a potential gold mine for exploring new and useful ideas to augment competence in innovation. Companies need to systematically analyze and interpret online commentaries to enhance in-house research and design activities. To this end, a framework is proposed using a design science approach to enable automatic analysis of the content of online opinions and comments in connection with specific products, using a web lexicon established for this purpose. Furthermore, this framework is applied to an automobile as a proof-of-concept. Several nicknames for the car brand studied were created by web users, some with irony and sarcasm. A few metaphorical expressions were also used to describe product features. Engineering practitioners should recognize the importance of stylized online expressions in order to have a better understanding of customer needs and expectations through the application of this framework, which incorporates an evolutionary web lexicon.