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Volunteer contributions to Wikipedia increased during COVID-19 mobility restrictions
Thorsten Ruprechter1, Manoel Horta Ribeiro2, Tiago Santos3
1Graz University of Technology, 8010, Graz, Austria. ruprechter@tugraz.at.
Scientific Reports
|November 3, 2021
Summary
Wikipedia volunteers showed resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing both their contributions and the number of new editors. This online community adapted effectively to the global crisis.
Area of Science:
- Computer-mediated communication
- Social computing
- Digital sociology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic introduced global mobility restrictions, raising questions about the impact on online volunteer communities.
- It was uncertain if volunteer contributions to Wikipedia would decline or increase due to pandemic-related stress and rising readership.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Wikipedia volunteer contributions.
- To assess the resilience and behavioral changes within Wikipedia's global volunteer community during the crisis.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 200 million edits across twelve Wikipedia language editions from 2018 to 2020.
- Comparison of contribution data pre-pandemic and during the initial phase of the COVID-19 crisis.
Main Results:
- Wikipedia's global volunteer community demonstrated resilience during the pandemic.
- Substantial increases in both editor productivity and the number of new contributors were observed.
- English Wikipedia contributions rose significantly, exceeding pre-pandemic expectations.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights the robust response of online volunteer communities to global crises.
- Findings offer valuable insights into the adaptability of critical digital communities under stress.
- The results underscore the enduring importance of collaborative online platforms like Wikipedia.
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