Lampe, Cliff, et al. "Crowdsourcing civility: A natural experiment examining the effects of distributed moderation in online forums." Government Information Quarterly 31.2 (2014): 317-326.

This paper examines how moderator systems in online discussion forums can alleviate information overload and foster civil discourse, particularly in political discussions. It focuses on Slashdot as a case study, demonstrating that effective moderation helps users reach consensus on which comments require moderation, promoting a more constructive environment. By comparing political discussions on Slashdot with other forums, the study highlights both quantitative and qualitative differences in participation. The findings suggest that distributed moderation systems can facilitate large-scale, civil engagement, enabling lively debates while maintaining norms of civility.