This presentation is part of the WikiSym + OpenSym 2013 program.
Kim Osman
This paper presents research that investigated the role of conflict in the editorial process of the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia. The study used a grounded approach to analyzing 147 conversations about quality from the archived history of the Wikipedia article Australia. The study found that conflict in Wikipedia is a generative friction, regulated by references to policy as part of a coordinated effort within the community to improve the quality of articles. Finally, the paper addresses the implications of the study in light of larger questions about the quality of information online, as well as diversity and coordination in online communities.
A PDF file will be made available on August 5, 2013, through the WikiSym + OpenSym 2013 conference proceedings.