[P2P-F] Fwd: [fcf_discussion] Why don’t more scientists contribute to Wikipedia?: Survey to find out

Wed Mar 9 06:03:40 CET 2011

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Fuster, Mayo <Mayo.Fuster at eui.eu>
Date: Wed, Mar 9, 2011 at 12:04 AM
Subject: [fcf_discussion] Why don’t more scientists contribute to
Wikipedia?: Survey to find out
To: "fcforum_discussion at list.fcforum.net" <
fcforum_discussion at list.fcforum.net>

Why don’t more scientists contribute to Wikipedia?

The Wikimedia Research Committee is trying to find out why scientists,
academics and other experts don’t contribute to Wikipedia.  >>>> Participate
at a survey to find out: http://survey.nitens.org/?sid=21693

Dario Taraborelli outlines the situation:

Last month, Wikipedia celebrated its 10th anniversary, which saw
considerable coverage in mainstream media. A Chronicle article observed
that, today, the project does not represent “the bottom layer of authority,
nor the top, but in fact the highest layer without formal vetting” and, as
such, it can serve as “an ideal bridge between the validated and unvalidated
Web”.
An increasing number of university students use Wikipedia for
“pre-research”, as part of their course assignments or research projects.
Yet many among academics, scientists and experts turn their noses up at the
thought of contributing to Wikipedia, despite a growing number of calls from
the scientific community to join the project. The Association for
Psychological Science launched an initiative to get the scientific
psychology community involved in improving the quality of articles in their
field, while biomedical experts recently called upon their peers to help
make public health information in Wikipedia rigorous and complete.
These initiatives remain sporadic and most academics – despite goodwill to
contribute – still perceive major barriers to participation, which typically
include a general lack of time to contribute, but also barriers of a
technical, social and cultural nature. These encompass the lack of
incentives from the perspective of a professional career, the poor
recognition of one’s expertise within Wikipedia, the widespread perception
of Wikipedia as a non-authoritative source. In combination with the apparent
anomaly of collaborative – and often anonymous –  authorship and the
resulting fluidity of Wikipedia articles, these factors create an
environment that significantly differs from the ones experts are accustomed
to.
Now, the Wikimedia Research Committee has launched a survey to understand
why scientists, academics and other experts do (or do not) contribute to
Wikipedia, and whether individual motivation aligns with shared perceptions
of Wikipedia within different communities of experts. The survey is
anonymous and takes about 20 minutes to complete. Whether you are an active
Wikipedia contributor or not, you can take the survey and help Wikipedia
think of ways around barriers to expert participation.

Participate at the survey at: http://survey.nitens.org/?sid=21693

«·´`·.(*·.¸(`·.¸ ¸.·´)¸.·*).·´`·»
«·´¨*·¸¸« Mayo Fuster Morell ».¸.·*¨`·»
«·´`·.(¸.·´(¸.·* *·.¸)`·.¸).·´`·»

Research Digital Commons Governance: http://www.onlinecreation.info

Ph.D European University Institute
Postdoctoral Researcher. Institute of Govern and Public Policies. Autonomous
University of Barcelona.
Visiting scholar. Internet Interdisciplinary Institute. Open University of
Catalonia (UOC).
Visiting researcher (2008). School of information. University of California,
Berkeley.
Member Research Committee. Wikimedia Foundation

http://www.onlinecreation.info
E-mail: mayo.fuster at eui.eu
Skype: mayoneti
Phone Spanish State: 0034-648877748

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