Wikimania 2024 : Wikipedia and Wikidata as sources for analyzing Americanization ( video )

At the Wikimania 2024 conference, researchers Prof. Piotr Konieczny and Dr. Włodzimierz Lewoniewski presented their findings on Americanization across different global regions using open data from Wikipedia and Wikidata. The study revealed varying levels of interest in American topics, correlating with the development stages of countries. This research highlights the significance of Americanization as a subject of scholarly inquiry and showcases the potential of online platforms like Wikipedia and Wikidata for social science research. The study also draws attention to the uneven distribution of content related to American topics across different language versions of Wikipedia. This discrepancy raises concerns about the global representation of knowledge and the inherent biases present in the platform. The researchers emphasize the need for a more equitable and inclusive approach to content creation and editing on Wikipedia to ensure that the encyclopedia remains a balanced and comprehensive resource for users worldwide. The presentation and additional materials can be found on the Wikimania website (wikimania2024.lewoniewski.info). Wikimania is an annual conference that brings together volunteers and Free Knowledge leaders from around the world to discuss open-access knowledge projects run by the Wikimedia Foundation. The 2024 edition took place in Katowice, Poland, with over 2,000 participants from 143 countries. The conference website is wikimania.wikimedia.org. In summary, the research presented at Wikimania 2024 sheds light on the phenomenon of Americanization and its implications for global cultural dominance. The study also highlights the methodological potential of using online platforms like Wikipedia and Wikidata for social science research, while calling for a more inclusive approach to content creation and editing on these platforms.

Source: kie.ue.poznan.pl
Published on 2024-10-04