The classification of online consumer reviews: A systematic literature review and integrative framework

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this paper is to conduct a systematic review of the literature on online consumer reviews (OCRs) in order to provide understanding of the multi-featured nature and complexity of such reviews and assist researchers and practitioners. A total of 234 papers covering a publication period from 2000 to July 2019 were included in our systematic analysis and a five-factor communication process framework served as a classification scheme. In addition to the insights into OCRs in terms of publication outlets, methodology, and data sources, the most commonly used features, most frequently examined response-based features, and consistent findings/discrepancies between previous studies are discussed in the synthesized results. Research trends identified during the observation period and future research directions are also highlighted. This study also made an attempt to develop an integrative framework of the five feature categories with the intention of providing a comprehensive picture of OCR scope.