This article describes participation in scholarly mailing lists and discusses the implications of such participation for scholars' social networks. The mixed-methods design included a qualitative study and a survey administered by e-mail (187 subjects in eleven electronic forums). Data were also retrieved from LISTSERV archives to determine each forum's profile in terms of contribution rate, adoption rate, and number of active contributors. The authors found that there was transient membership in the forums, a pattern of “few-to-many” exchange, and weak engagement with other forum members. However, the interaction generated by a small group of contributors seems to present scholars with a new social arena that may fulfill their affiliation and information needs.
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