“The right information”: perceptions of information bias among Black Wikipedians

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine motivators that drive Black Wikipedia contribution. The authors explore motivations around content contribution, effects of gender on motivations and self-perceptions of Black Wikipedia labor. Design/methodology/approach A total of 318 Black American Wikipedia contributors completed an online survey. The authors employed both quantitative and qualitative methods in the study including descriptive statistics, multivariate (MANOVA) and univariate (ANOVA) analysis of variance to examine gender differences in Wikipedia content contribution. In addition, open-ended responses were evaluated, through content analysis, to make inferences on their perceptions of Wikipedia labor. Findings This paper identifies racial identity and perceptions of information quality as strong motivators in content contribution among Black Wikipedians. Motivators are gender variant; men are more motivated than women with the lone exception being racial identity. Additionally, the study identifies Wikipedia as a contested space among Black contributors and is a site of resistance. Originality/value Black Wikipedians information activity is a relatively new and understudied phenomenon. This paper presents new insight and a deeper understanding of Black Wikipedians’ motivations for information sharing behaviors in the most popular encyclopedia on the internet.

A Conceptual Framework of Data (Info) Quality Revisited

“…This difference in the information environment produces a new IQ category that information users perceive when assessing the quality of information on other Web sources. Especially, dimensions such as Empowering/Uplifting echo with Ju and Stewart's (2019) study exploring Black Wikipedians' views/perceptions of Wikipedia roles in terms of its content. Fun (Nov, 2007), and User-generated reflect Wikipedia's social aspects and user participation of content generation in the Web 2.0 environment.…”

Exploring perceived online information quality: a mixed-method approach

“…While there are limited studies to compare our findings here, we do see an intriguing overlap within the literature on Wikipedia motivation with our findings on the dimensions of social aspect quality. For example, both fun and enjoyment manifest across several studies as a motivator of Wikipedia contribution (Nov, 2007; Sundin, 2011; Xu and Li, 2015; Ju and Stewart, 2019). Expanding knowledge, reciprocity, and giving back were also noted as motivations (Cho et al.…”

“…Expanding knowledge, reciprocity, and giving back were also noted as motivations (Cho et al. , 2010; Sundin, 2011; Ju and Stewart, 2019). Drawing on these previous studies on motivations, it is likely we are seeing a convergence where-in the phenomenon that drives users’ motivations to contribute are simultaneously mapped as dimensions of information quality characteristics.…”

The colonization of Wikipedia: evidence from characteristic editing behaviors of warring camps

“…WP's NPOV policy is supposed to allow competing or conflicting points of view (or truths) to be included (Luyt, 2017). Instead, the policy is used by some editors to implement systemic bias by supporting the removal of opposing views as they argue that their own truth is “factual,” “verifiable” and “right,” while another truth is “misinformation,” “propaganda,” or “false.” These claims are often tied to and supported by the discourse and ideologies of the dominant group of WP editors – mainly white, male and Western (Ju and Stewart, 2019) – and the misplaced belief that facts and truths are singular and stable (Luyt, 2017). WP policies and editors' focus on consensus supports this push for a singular truth through the exclusion of marginalized views.…”