Research:Designing a Tool to Help Improve Wikipedia Talk Page Discussions
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.
Introduction and Background
editThis is an extension of our prior work, Understanding Wikipedians’ Perspectives on Discussions and AI Tools to Improve Discussion Effectiveness.
Wikipedia talk pages are important spaces where editors collaborate to improve articles, reach consensus, and build community. However, they can also be sites of disputes and disagreements—sometimes productive, but other times challenging. Resolving these conflicts benefits Wikipedia, strengthens the community, and improves article quality. With this in mind, we are designing a tool to help Wikipedians navigate and manage disagreements. Our research focuses on collaboratively designing this tool with Wikipedians, guided by iterative feedback.
Research Questions & Scope
editThe objective of our research is to iteratively design the tool in collaboration with Wikipedians. Our research aims to 1) gather user feedback on the current design and its existing features, 2) identify needs for additional features, and 3) explore how those features should be designed.
Participants
editWe want to interview active editors of Wikipedia who have experiences participating in, or reading/reviewing the discussions on article talk pages. We plan to recruit ~20 Wikipedia editors for this study.
Participant Incentive
editParticipation in the study is voluntary, but in recognition of the participant's time and effort, a $25 donation will be made to a 'like-minded' organization. Participants completing the interview can choose whether the contribution will be made to: Wikimedia Foundation, Creative Commons, or Internet Archive. If not otherwise specified, the default choice will be Wikimedia Foundation.
| Organization | Selection | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Wikimedia Foundation | 1 | $25 |
| Creative Commons | 1 | $25 |
| Internet Archive | 3 | $75 |
Methods
editThis project is based on qualitative research mainly involving semi-structured interviews conducted via video calls.
Recruitment
editWe will recruit participants who are aged 18 and above and who speak English using the "email this user" feature. We will identify individuals with experience in article editing and engagement in discussions based on publicly available edit histories. Our study team will send a direct email invitation, including a participation questionnaire that explores participants' experiences and opinions regarding Wikipedia discussions. We may also post recruitment notices and the questionnaire on Village Pump to reach Wikipedia editors. Those agreeing to take part will be contacted again by our study team to schedule interviews.
Interview Procedure
editA 60-minute semi-structured interview will be conducted via video call. During the interview, participants will interact directly with a tool prototype and provide feedback.
Data Collection
editParticipants’ edit histories will be collected for screening and analysis. Before the interview, consent to audio record the video call will be obtained. After the interview, the audio recordings will be transcribed for further analysis. After the transcribing has been completed, the recordings will be deleted.
Research Ethics
editThis work has been reviewed by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of Washington and given an "exempt" determination. Before conducting the interview, we will inform the participants of the basics details of the study and ask for agreement to participate. During the interview, participants may decline to answer questions, or they can stop their participation and ask to have the interview deleted. We will maintain the confidentiality of the interviews by anonymizing the data and deleting direct identifiers. The data will not be shared beyond our research team and will not be used for other purposes.
Impact of the Study
editThis study will provide deeper insight into how a tool to facilitate discussion resolution for Wikipedians should be designed. If such a tool effectively supports disagreement resolution, it can contribute to strengthening the community and improving the quality of articles.