The serendipity quotient

Abstract When does a system have the potential to enable serendipity? The objective of this research was to develop a measure, the serendipity quotient, of digital environments. By extracting indicators of serendipitous outcomes, we developed a scale and tested it with 124 participants who spent 20 minutes examining the contents of the Wikipedia using a novel interface. Exploratory factor analysis extracted five of the seven items which taken as a set indicate whether participants had strategic insights that have the potential for future serendipitous outcomes.