Saturday, June 27, 2026 Strategy, technology, media, and social systems

I Think

Sorin Adam Matei

Analysis, research, maps, and essays from Sorin Adam Matei.

November 24, 2009

The collaborative construction of “fact” on Wikipedia

Interesting paper on the social construction of facts on Wikipedia.

For years Wikipedia has come to symbolize the potential of Web 2.0 for harnessing the power of mass collaboration and collective intelligence. As wikis continue to develop and move into streams of cultural, social, academic, and enterprise work activity, it is appropriate to consider how collective intelligence emerges from mass collaboration. Collective intelligence can take many forms – this paper examines one, the emergence of stable facts on Wikipedia. More specifically, this paper examines ways of participating that lead to the creation of facts. This research will show how we can be more effective consumers, producers, and managers of wiki information by understanding how collaboration shapes facts.

via The collaborative construction of “fact” on Wikipedia.