Qin, Xiangju, Michael Salter-Townshend, and Pádraig Cunningham. "Exploring the relationship between membership turnover and productivity in online communities." Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media. Vol. 8. No. 1. 2014.

This study investigates the impact of member turnover and social capital losses on the productivity of 891 WikiProjects. It presents a longitudinal analysis to understand how these factors affect online community projects, such as Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap. The research introduces a nuanced perspective by considering the loss of social capital, particularly focusing on the departure of central members from the network. Findings indicate that only a minor fraction of WikiProjects maintain a healthy state with minimal membership turnover and social capital losses. The study reveals a U-shaped relationship between social capital losses and project performance, highlighting the significant negative consequences of member withdrawal on project outcomes. Additionally, it identifies the mediating roles of turnover rate and network density in this curvilinear relationship, suggesting complex dynamics at play in the sustainability and productivity of online community projects.