Value co-creation in cultural heritage information practices: Literature review and future agenda: An Annual Review of Information Science and Technology (ARIST) paper

Abstract

Value co-creation as a research topic has been a critical proposition of interest to a wide range of disciplines. In recent years, the field of cultural heritage has also developed a range of information practices to promote different forms of value co-creation. While the body of literature has begun to accumulate, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of conceptual foundations and how value co-creation is implemented in cultural heritage information practices. This paper conducted a hermeneutic literature review to understand and conceptualize the core aspects of value co-creation in various cultural heritage information works. In particular, this paper provides a research mapping of the genres of co-creation in cultural heritage information practices, the actors, and the roles played by the stakeholders. Further, this review provides an overview of the dominant value co-creation models in the cultural heritage field. It distills the drivers of value co-creation and the core value consequences that arise from a process perspective. Finally, this paper puts forward a thematic, theoretical, and methodological agenda for future work based on these findings. The review contributes to the literature by proposing an integrated conceptual framework that summarizes the core elements of value co-creation in cultural heritage information practices. The framework also serves as a call for action, providing a general understanding of the conceptual foundation for future research.