A Novel Explanation of Differentiated Contributions to Wikipedia: The Role of Internet Skills

• In Event: ICA Plenary Interactive Paper/Poster Session and Reception
  In Interactive Paper Session: Communication and Technology Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

Despite the egalitarian rhetoric surrounding online cultural production, profound inequalities remain in who contributes to one of the most visited Web sites worldwide: Wikipedia. Women represent an estimated 16% of global Wikipedia editors and 23% of adult Wikipedia editors in the United States. In searching for sources and solutions to this persistent disparity, previous research has focused on analyzing aspects of current contributors and the existing Wikipedia community. We draw on unique panel survey data collected in 2009 and 2012 on a diverse group of American young adults with detailed information about not just contributors, but also non-contributors. We examine the role of individuals’ background attributes and Internet skills in participation on the site. We find that the gender gap in editing, widely documented in the literature, is exacerbated by a similarly significant Internet skills gap. Our results show that by far the most likely contributors are high-skilled males.

Authors

• Eszter Hargittai, Northwestern U

• Aaron Shaw, Northwestern University