What do we want to study, what is the problem?
The key problem: Individuals are unlikely to partake in online virtual communities for idea sharing unless it's part of their everyday work and a contractual obligation. How to get people involved and staying in the co-creation process?
What else?
Most likely, motivation theory would easily explain that.
There has to be the need behind. When we speak about "technology" and how it motivates people, maybe we should think about the reasons why. It can be true that technology helps to implement a task quicker and most effective (we can find numerous examples on that). It can also be true that technology involves "playing" and "enjoying" the process. Then (most probably) there comes the theory of human curiosity satisfaction or the need to play (to discover, to enhance cognitive processes and thinking, etc.).
I would draw a line between the need behind using the technology and getting online to "solve a problem/ need" that is behind. If there is the need to get for a piece of advice, people get online and search for the answer. If there is the need to socialise - they do the same (due to shifting social habbits). If there is the need to validate an idea that crossed one's mind - we "check" what is online on the issue.
We also need certainty (if we take actions responsibly). However, this also adds to the culture and the nature of a person. Others are just stating ("always true").
There has to be the need behind. we can post various need examples (career, task (professional, academic, family, other), personal idea validation - but can also ask people "why". There is nothing but the need.
-Henri: The questions why are crucial. They also require substantial amount of elaboration and should be a big emphasis in the qualitative part of our analysis (the focus groups and interviews). With questionnaires it's extremely hard to capture these as people usually don't even give full sentences. We could review the interview guidelines and see that these issues are well covered.