Presentation of scientific research results at the Wikimania 2024 conference

Wikipedia, as a popular source of information worldwide, reflects a wide spectrum of knowledge. This publicly available encyclopedia is co-created by a diverse, international community of users. The inherent nature of this online encyclopedia, generated by users, allows for the presentation of a wide range of topics, offering insight into various cultural, historical, and scientific issues. Despite its wide reach, the process of creating and editing Wikipedia articles is carried out independently in each language version, leading to discrepancies in the depth and breadth of content in different languages. These divergences provide a unique lens through which to analyze the phenomenon of Americanization – a term that refers to the global influence and spread of American culture and values.

Presentation recording:

The approach presented not only confirms the importance of Americanization as a subject of scholarly study, but also sheds light on the methodological potential of using online platforms as tools for social science research. Furthermore, the results of this study contribute to ongoing debates about the inherent biases of Wikipedia. By highlighting the uneven distribution of content related to American topics across language versions, the study draws attention to the broader implications of such imbalances for the global representation of knowledge. It underscores the need for a more equitable and inclusive approach to content creation and editing on Wikipedia, ensuring that the encyclopedia remains a balanced and comprehensive resource for users around the world. Authors of the work: Prof. Piotr Konieczny (Hanyang University) and Dr. Włodzimierz Lewoniewski. More information about the presentation and additional materials can be found at: wikimania2024.lewoniewski.info.