Comparison of Question and Answer (Q&A) modules

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Overview

Several modules provide some form of Q&A functionality, including:

  • Modules for a community to ask and answer questions:
  • Modules for a group to ask and experts to answer questions:

In looking at these, I first looked at drupal.stackexchange.com and built a list of functionality I found there. I then walked through these modules, noting which parts of that functionality they have and adding in extra features they have.

So, the table below summarizes what is already there and provides a wish list for future development. This seems to be an area where there have been a lot of good starts and no module has reached the maturity of stackexchange.

The links below point to a sandbox project where I kept a description of each feature, plus short reviews of the modules.

Summary of Functionality

SITE FEATURES

Answers

Question/Answer

Question

FAQ_Ask

Array_Shift

Feature:
Create a place for users to have meta discussions

--

--

--

--

--

Feature:
Users can go to a help system to get help on how to ask for help on, e.g.,
how to ask a question

--

--

--

--

--

Feature:
Users can help grow the site by "sharing it" through a variety of mechanisms

--

--

--

--

--

Feature:
Views can see a site statistics block

--

--

--

--

--

FINDING QUESTIONS FEATURES

Answers

Question/Answer

Question

FAQ_Ask

Array_Shift

Feature:
Viewers can view lists of all questions & of unanswered questions

Y

--

--

Y

Y

Feature:
Viewers can view lists of “resolved questions” (with a best answer) and
“unresolved questions” (answers but no best answer)

(Best Answer)

--

--

--

--

Feature:
Viewers can see the most viewed questions this week

--

--

--

--

--

Feature:
Viewers can see "hot" questions

--

--

--

--

--

Feature: Viewers
can sort lists of questions by key fields (e.g., title, when asked, # of
answers)

Y

--

--

--

--

Feature:
Allow users to search for questions

Y

--

--

--

--

Feature:
When users view a question, they can set it as a favorite question

--

--

--

--

--

Feature:
Users can search for questions using a variety of fancy keywords

Partial

--

--

--

--

Feature:
Users can "share" questions they view

--

--

--

--

--

Feature:
Users can “share” a specific answer to a question

--

--

--

--

--

Feature: Questions can be tagged

(*configure)

(*configure)

(*configure)

Y

Y

Feature:
Users can "follow" tags

--

--

--

--

Y?

CORE QA FEATURES

Answers

Question/Answer

Question

FAQ_Ask

Array_Shift

Feature:
When question author asks a question, he can use WYSIWIG formatting and see a
list of formatting tips

(*configure)

(*configure)

(*configure)

(*configure)

Y

Feature:
When authoring a question, the system automatically shows "like"
questions so as to avoid duplicates

(partial)

--

--

--

--

Feature:
Question askers can "feature" a question by spending reputation
points to have it answered.

--

--

--

--

--

Feature:
Answer authors can edit or delete their questions

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Feature:
When a question author asks a question, the author can get notified daily by
email of answers

Y

--

--

Y (Sitewide policy)

Y

Feature:
Users can post answers to questions

Y

Y

Y

Named “experts”
only

Y

Feature:
When users start to answer a question, they are given guidance on how to
answer

--

--

--

Y

--

Users
can edit answers

(*configure)

(*configure)

(*configure)

(*configure)

(*configure)

Feature:
Users can "comment" on questions and on answers

(*configure)

Comment on answers
only

--

Y

Y

Feature:
When viewing questions, users can vote a question up or down

--

--

--

--

Y

Feature:
When users view a question, they also are shown other related information

(partial)

(partial)

(partial)

--

Y

Feature:
When viewing an answer, users can vote the answer up or down

Y

(*configure … but
voting has no effect)

--

--

Y

Feature:
Questions can expire

(in progress)

Y
.. question author sets when

--

--

--

Feature:
Validate questions to avoid questions which are too short

--

--

--

--

--

Feature:
Questions can be "resolved" through the selection of a best answer

(Best Answer)

Y

Y

--

--

Feature:
Users can flag an answer for attention by a moderator

--

--

--

Y (all questions
go to experts)

Y (flag … not for
a moderator)

Feature:
Automatically suggest tags based on question content

--

--

--

--

--

Feature:
Allow moderators (others?) to merge / close duplicate questions

--

--

--

--

--

Feature: Moderators can approve questions (after
which they are posted)

(*configure)

--

Y

Y

(*configure)

Feature: Moderators can approve comments (after
which they are posted)

(*configure)

--

Y

Y

(*configure)

USER & USER PERMISSIONS FEATURES

Answers

Question/Answer

Question

FAQ_Ask

Array_Shift

Users
earn "reputation"

Y (Answers Userpoints)

--

--

--

Y

Feature:
Earning reputation increases the permissions a user has (and so what he can
do)

--

--

--

--

--

Feature:
Performing specific tasks earns users specific badges

--

--

--

--

Y

Feature;
"Official" users are marked by status badges

--

--

--

--

--

Feature:
Different tags or categories can have "Top Contributors"

--

--

--

--

--

Feature:
Viewers can browse users by their kind of activity

--

--

--

--

--

OTHER FEATURES

Answers

Question/Answer

Question

FAQ_Ask

Array_Shift

Feature:
Create a feature that specifically simplifies entry of drupal.org content

--

--

--

--

--

Feature: Experts can be assigned to answer
questions with specific tags

 

Y

--

Feature: Users can be invited to get a periodic
“newsletter”

 

Y

--

OTHER
ASPECTS

Answers

Question/Answer

Question

FAQ_Ask

Array_Shift

Drupal versions
currently supported

D6, D7

D6, D7

D5, D6

D6 (D7 in dev)

<none>

Sites Using the Module

51

129

154

1417

13? (support
modules)

Actively Maintained

Y

Y

Y

?

N

Comments

Thank you!

bohappa's picture

This is very useful. Thank you for taking the time to make this matrix.

https://www.drupal.org/projec