A Model for Identifying Influential Bloggers using Social Proof, Mining Comment, and Emerging Topics in Social Media

The paper proposes a framework for modeling influential bloggers on the web by studying the blogosphere for additional parameters that can be used in identifying influential blogger. Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper uses social proof, mining comments, and emerging topics in the blogosphere to design a new model for identifying influential bloggers in the blogosphere. Findings: The new model is more accurate than the previous models used in identifying influential blogger on the web. Research limitations/implications: This paper only designed a framework for identifying influential bloggers based on the newly introduced parameters. The framework has not been tested, but once having a positive outcome from a future test, it would be useful in identifying influential bloggers in the blogosphere. Also, it would give the opportunity to study social interaction provided by the blogosphere since blogs offer a system to express feelings, realities, and beliefs. Practical implications: Since bloggers can be connected in a virtual community, the identification of the influential bloggers can yield personal, social, business and political opportunities. Originality/value: This study is the first to propose a model that uses social proof, mining comment, and budding topic to identify influential bloggers in a blogosphere.