Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship
http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/boyd.ellison.html
  peer-reviewed

Boyd, Danah and Nicole B. Ellison
Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication
2007

Abstract:

Social network sites (SNSs) are increasingly attracting the attention of academic and industry researchers intrigued by their affordances and reach. This special theme section of the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication brings together scholarship on these emergent phenomena. In this introductory article, we describe features of SNSs and propose a comprehensive definition. We then present one perspective on the history of such sites, discussing key changes and developments. After briefly summarizing existing scholarship concerning SNSs, we discuss the articles in this special section and conclude with considerations for future research.