Janitors of Knowledge: Constructing Knowledge in the Everyday Life of Wikipedia Editors
Sundin, Olof LU
(2011)
In Journal of Documentation
67(5).
p.840-862
- Abstract
- Purpose: The aim of this article is to explore how trustworthy knowledge claims in Wikipedia are constructed by focusing on the everyday practices of Wikipedia editors. The article focuses particularly on the role of references to external sources for the stabilisation of knowledge in Wikipedia.
Design/methodology/approach: The study is inspired by online ethnography. It includes eleven Wikipedia editors, together with the sociotechnical resources in Wikipedia. The material was collected through interviews, online observations, web documents and discussions, and e-mail questions. The analysis was carried out from a perspective of science and technology studies (STS).
Findings: Wikipedia can be regarded as a laboratory... (More) - Purpose: The aim of this article is to explore how trustworthy knowledge claims in Wikipedia are constructed by focusing on the everyday practices of Wikipedia editors. The article focuses particularly on the role of references to external sources for the stabilisation of knowledge in Wikipedia.
Design/methodology/approach: The study is inspired by online ethnography. It includes eleven Wikipedia editors, together with the sociotechnical resources in Wikipedia. The material was collected through interviews, online observations, web documents and discussions, and e-mail questions. The analysis was carried out from a perspective of science and technology studies (STS).
Findings: Wikipedia can be regarded as a laboratory for knowledge construction in which the already published is being recycled. The references to external sources anchor the participatory encyclopaedia in the ecology of established media and attribute trust to the knowledge published. The policy on Verifiability is analysed as an obligatory passage point to which all actors have to adjust. Active Wikipedia editors can be seen as akin to janitors of knowledge, as they are the ones who, through their hands-on activities, keep Wikipedia stable.
Originality/value: The study develops an innovative understanding of the knowledge construction culture in one of the most popular sources for information on the internet. By highlighting the ways in which trust is established in Wikipedia, a more reflexive use of the participatory encyclopaedia is made possible. This is of value for information literacy training. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1693489
- author
- Sundin, Olof
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2011
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- participatory media, publication, trust, Wkipedia, credibility
- in
- Journal of Documentation
- volume
- 67
- issue
- 5
- pages
- 840 - 862
- publisher
- Emerald Group Publishing Limited
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000296598600006
- scopus:80053072675
- ISSN
- 0022-0418
- DOI
- 10.1108/00220411111164709
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 91d390ef-6537-4bba-aad0-89b422c5d27f (old id 1693489)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 15:00:53
- date last changed
- 2024-01-25 08:53:36
@article{91d390ef-6537-4bba-aad0-89b422c5d27f,
abstract = {{Purpose: The aim of this article is to explore how trustworthy knowledge claims in Wikipedia are constructed by focusing on the everyday practices of Wikipedia editors. The article focuses particularly on the role of references to external sources for the stabilisation of knowledge in Wikipedia. <br/><br>
Design/methodology/approach: The study is inspired by online ethnography. It includes eleven Wikipedia editors, together with the sociotechnical resources in Wikipedia. The material was collected through interviews, online observations, web documents and discussions, and e-mail questions. The analysis was carried out from a perspective of science and technology studies (STS). <br/><br>
Findings: Wikipedia can be regarded as a laboratory for knowledge construction in which the already published is being recycled. The references to external sources anchor the participatory encyclopaedia in the ecology of established media and attribute trust to the knowledge published. The policy on Verifiability is analysed as an obligatory passage point to which all actors have to adjust. Active Wikipedia editors can be seen as akin to janitors of knowledge, as they are the ones who, through their hands-on activities, keep Wikipedia stable. <br/><br>
Originality/value: The study develops an innovative understanding of the knowledge construction culture in one of the most popular sources for information on the internet. By highlighting the ways in which trust is established in Wikipedia, a more reflexive use of the participatory encyclopaedia is made possible. This is of value for information literacy training.}},
author = {{Sundin, Olof}},
issn = {{0022-0418}},
keywords = {{participatory media; publication; trust; Wkipedia; credibility}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{5}},
pages = {{840--862}},
publisher = {{Emerald Group Publishing Limited}},
series = {{Journal of Documentation}},
title = {{Janitors of Knowledge: Constructing Knowledge in the Everyday Life of Wikipedia Editors}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/4297665/2277516.pdf}},
doi = {{10.1108/00220411111164709}},
volume = {{67}},
year = {{2011}},
}