In a context in which the institutionalization of democracy, but also the institutionalization of knowledge, are both in crisis, experiences based in the searching of democratic quality in knowledge-making are determinant. These are a new phenomenon that challenge society from many points of view.

One case of searching the Internet potential to develop democratic quality in knowledge-making, term cognitive democracy, is via the online creation communities.

Online creation communities are an interesting subject from which a number of lessons can be learned.

• How can complex knowledge-making and sharing take place in such an extremely decentralized form of organization in which apparently formal governance structures are weak or invisible, and in which permanent membership in the classical sense does not exist?
• How can the dispersed activities nevertheless lead to the creation of a complex product such as software code or an encyclopedia online?
• What are the basic mechanisms underlying the coordination and governance of knowledge-making and sharing in online creation communities, and where are they embedded?

The objective of the research is focused on the search for the cognitive democratic potential of the Internet in knowledge-making through the case of the online creation communities.

Special attention will be given to analyze the governing system of the online creation communities and the importance of the size and year of foundation of the community and the knowledge and democratic conception in order to explain the community type of use of the Internet.