Research:Wikimedia Summer of Research 2011
Maryana Pinchuk
Steven Walling
This page documents a research project in progress.
Information may be incomplete and change as the project progresses.
Please contact the project lead before formally citing or reusing results from this page.
The Wikimedia Foundation Summer of Research (WSoR) has brought eight academic researchers to study longterm participation trends in Wikipedia. In light of the results of the Editor Trends Study and the Board's resolution on openness, this multidisciplinary team will be using week-long group sprints to answer detailed questions related to participation.
From June through August 31st of 2011, the project will run sprints that provide both qualitative and quantitative explanations of how new editors interact with Wikipedia, as well as data-driven recommendations for exactly what can be done to improve retention. You can read about the team in the announcement.
If you're interested in an example of the kind of work that the summer will be producing, Maryana Pinchuk and Steven Walling produced three preliminary sprints on the topic of Communication to New Editors 2004-2011. Current sprints from the project will be listed on this page. Data and code produced will be released under a free license.
Research questions
The draft set of research questions is still evolving, but is a good look at the set of topics this summer will focus on. Please feel free to comment on on the question set, especially looking to point out existing research and ways that the questions can be clearer to those outside the Summer of Research team.
Sprints
To create a create a new sprint:
- Use this form to create the sprint page. Make sure to give your sprint a name.
- Add a link to the sprint page under the appropriate week below.
- Start researchin'
May 16-20
- Quality of PPI editor work -- Drdee
- Newbie reverts and article length -- EpochFail
- Generating a common editor sample -- Zack
June 1-3 Mini-sprint
June 6-10
- Patroller work load -- EpochFail
- Alternative lifecycles of new users -- Staeiou, Jtmorgan
- Taxonomy - Deletions -- Diederik
- Ignored period and retention - Whym
- Research:Newbie reverts and subsequent editing behavior - Swalker
June 13-17
- Deletion notifications to new users -- Staeiou
- New user help requests -- jtmorgan
- Anonymous edits -- declerambaul
- Rhetoric of the welcome message -- Drkill
- Sentiment analysis tool of new editor interaction -- Whym
June 20-24
- The Speed of Speedy Deletions -- Staeiou
- New User Participation in Help Spaces -- Jtmorgan Swalker
- (Continuing) Rhetoric of the welcome message -- Drkill
- Measuring overall contribution of editors -- declerambaul Diederik
- ABD - Diff Database -- Swalker declerambaul