Revisiting the Benefits of Duplicate Questions: Evidence from Knowledge Evolution on Stack Overflow

ABSTRACT Stack Overflow (SO) represents one of the most vibrant Question Answering Communities (QACs), providing a crucial platform for developers to pose and respond to questions. SO preserved duplicate questions due to their potential for furnishing additional insights or suggestions. In this paper, we delve into the study of duplicates within SO, with the objective of unraveling their positive value, particularly through the lens of knowledge networks and the evolution. We propose a categorization of knowledge evolution within QACs into two key dimensions: depth and breadth. Our exploration reveals that duplicate questions play a constructive role in fostering both the depth and breadth of knowledge evolution. This finding illuminates the underestimated value of duplicate questions, underlining their significance for the ongoing expansion of knowledge within QACs.