A reference model for reputation systems

•We elicit the requirements for reputation systems from a literature study.•We identify the features necessary to fulfill these requirements.•We present a reference framework for the analysis and evaluation of reputation metrics.•We demonstrate the applicability of this framework by comparing and classifying well-known reputation systems.

Recent advances in ICT have led to a vast and expeditious development of e-services and technology. Trust is a fundamental aspect for the acceptance and adoption of these new services. Reputation is commonly employed as the measure of the trustworthiness of users in on-line communities. However, to facilitate their acceptance, reputation systems should be able to deal with the trust challenges and needs of those services.The aim of this survey is to propose a framework for the analysis of reputation systems. We elicit the requirements for reputation metrics along with the features necessary to achieve such requirements. The identified requirements and features form a reference framework which allows an objective evaluation and comparison of reputation systems. We demonstrate its applicability by analyzing and classifying a number of existing reputation systems. Our framework can serve as a reference model for the analysis of reputation systems. It is also helpful for the design of new reputation systems as it provides an analysis of the implications of design choices.