ABSTRACT
Crowdsourcing has been discussed extensively in business media and online forums in recent years. However, it has been difficult to gain traction as an actual instrument for addressing problems. The widespread, sometimes paralyzing, confusion regarding whether the technical or commercial issues can (or cannot) be handled by this technique is one of the key challenges limiting the adoption of crowdsourcing. Furthermore, the widespread use of the word “crowdsourcing” has muddied the lines between it and other methods of problem-solving, such as brainstorming. Therefore, crowdsourcing is frequently misused, and when the result is disappointing, the method is wrongly deemed “ineffective”. This chapter deals with the basics of crowdsourcing by exploring the various types and fields of its usage. We also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using such a technique along with the future of crowdsourcing.
