Fake online reviews : literature review, synthesis, and directions for future research

Abstract

Fake online reviews in e-commerce significantly affect online consumers, merchants, and, as a result, market efficiency. Despite scholarly efforts to examine fake reviews, there still lacks a survey that can systematically analyze and summarize its antecedents and consequences. This study proposes an antecedent–consequence–intervention conceptual framework to develop an initial research agenda for investigating fake reviews. Based on a review of the extant literature on this issue, we identify 20 future research questions and suggest 18 propositions. Notably, research on fake reviews is often limited by lack of high-quality datasets. To alleviate this problem, we comprehensively compile and summarize the existing fake reviews-related public datasets. We conclude by presenting the theoretical and practical implications of the current research.