Cultural Determinants of Sharing High-Quality Knowledge – A Case Study of the Wikipedia's Featured Articles

Abstract

Wikipedia is the largest encyclopedia in the world. It works by involving users in sharing knowledge, systematising it and correcting the content of encyclopedia entries. The range of features that involve users in the process of creating the encyclopedia and its derivative projects is much wider. From a research perspective, the socio-cultural foundations of this encyclopedia are the most interesting. The aim of this study was to present the ways in which users are involved in creating articles referred to as featured. Respondents participating in the study were asked this question: does the structure and the way authors and editors of high-quality articles are involved in the project remain dependent on the Hofstede Individualism Index (IDV)? The method used in the study was an analysis of user activity and ways in which users were involved. The author obtained the data using the xTools tool available on Wikipedia. When selecting the language versions for the analysis, criteria were used: 1) their cultural homogeneity, 2) extreme IDV values – individualism versus collectivism, in order to obtain a clear contrast, and 3) a large number of featured articles. For this sample, in cultures with high IDV rates, users were involved in creating and modifying featured articles in significantly greater numbers. However, the smallest share of featured articles concerns the language versions with the highest IDV. Statistically, the study showed significant differences in the form of author and editor engagement in creating high-quality articles. The results obtained do provide grounds for concluding that the quality of content depends on Hofstede's cultural indicators. In continuing the study, it is worth considering making a comparison of the number of featured articles of different language versions in particular fields of knowledge.