ABSTRACT
The purposes of this chapter are to trace the development of knowledge sharing research in the social network tradition, identify key features of knowledge sharing networks that have emerged from this research stream, and suggest future directions for research. A key component in the evolution of social network research on knowledge sharing has been the recognition that information technology (IT) can play an integral role in knowledge sharing networks. A number of studies have found that the contributions of the social network perspective can be extended effectively into IT-based knowledge sharing relationships. We rely upon these observations to suggest that the continued evolution of social network research on knowledge sharing can and should incorporate the IT artifact more intentionally and robustly into its examination of knowledge sharing activities of social networks. In doing so, we argue that the social network perspective on knowledge sharing represents a useful framework and new frontier for information systems research.
