I came across a very interesting PDF: Online Community Members are Real People Too; Focus on Users
The Internet was developed initially as a research network, so it’s no surprise that there now thousands of social scientists and social commentators researching Online Communities and Life Online. This presentation is just a taste of that research and will provide examples of how Online Community professionals can use the work of researchers to improve the way they conceptualise, build and administrate online communities.
This presentation will begin to answer the following questions: What is "Online Community"?
What are people doing in online communities?
What user trends can help us plan for the future?
What research resources are available?