Research:Improve the coverage and quality of health-related articles in the Simple English edition
This page documents a research project in progress.
Information may be incomplete and change as the project progresses.
Please contact the project lead before formally citing or reusing results from this page.
Introduction and Background
editAccess to clear and understandable health information is essential for individuals worldwide. The Simple English Wikipedia serves as a valuable resource for readers who may find standard English articles challenging due to language proficiency or complexity. However, the prevalence of health topic articles in the Simple English edition is notably low. Recognizing this gap, our research aims to improve the coverage and quality of health-related articles in the Simple English edition.
Research Questions & Scope
editThe objective of our research is to gain a clear and in-depth understanding of Wikipedians' perspectives on creating and editing health-related articles in Simple English. We aim to answer the following questions:
- How do Wikipedians approach editing health-related articles in Simple English Wikipedia? What challenges do they encounter in simplifying complex medical information?
- What are the key features of effective Simple English health articles? How can these features be identified and implemented to enhance clarity, accuracy, and accessibility for readers with varying levels of English proficiency?
- How can the coverage and accessibility of health information in Simple English Wikipedia be improved?
- What unmet needs do editors have when creating and maintaining Simple English health articles? How can the Wikipedia community and supporting tools better assist editors in overcoming obstacles related to content simplification, verification, and neutrality?
By addressing these questions, our research seeks to support the Wikipedia community in expanding and improving the Simple English health content, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and informative platform for all users.
Participants
editWe plan to recruit and interview approximately 12-18 active editors, who have edited health related articles in either standard EN or Simplified English editions. We hope to be able to focus on editors contributing to the Simplified English edition. We consider 'active' editors to be individuals who have edited any article in the past year, or have edited a health related article in the past 2 years. Eligible editors should be 18 years old or older and have native or near native English language skills. Our recruitment methods are described below. If you are interested in participating, please complete our screening survey (Google Forms) so we can understand if you are a fit.
Participant Incentive
editParticipation in our study is voluntary. However, to recognize the contribution of a participant's time and effort, we will make a donation to either Wikimedia foundation, or the Internet Archive, or Creative Commons. The amount of the total contribution will be a function of how much of the study the participant completes. If a participant only completes our online survey (Phase 1), then we will make a $20 contribution. When participants, additionally complete, the interview (Phase 2) then we will make an additional $30 contribution to the organization, for a total of up to $50.
The table below will be used to track the progress of completions, noting where participants have chosen to have a donation made. Counts in the 'Phase 1' column reflect individuals who declined to participate in Phase 2. Counts in the Phase 2 column indicate individuals who completed both phases.
| Organization | Phase 1 Completions |
Phase 2 Completions |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wikimedia Foundation | 1 | 2 | $120 |
| Creative Commons | $ | ||
| Internet Archive | 2 | $100 |
Methods
editThis is a mixed-methods study that relies on scaled user judgements from an online survey and a follow-up interview to understand editing in the Simple English edition of Wikipedia.
Research Ethics
editThis proposed research has been reviewed and approved by the University of Washington Institutional Review Board (IRB) as 'exempt'.
In our IRB proposal we requested the ability to gain verbal consent from the interview participants. We will verbally inform individuals of the basics of the study, similar to the information provided in this research project description, and ask them whether they agree to participate, prior to asking any of our interview questions. During the interview individuals may decline to answer questions, or they can stop their participation and ask to have the interview deleted.
It is our practice to make a good faith effort to maintain the confidentiality of the interviews. We will not tell outsiders which individuals were part of this research. We will do our best to anonymize the data. However, it is important for participants to know that Wikipedians are skilled at research and can sometimes figure out who and what is being described, even though a best effort has been made to anonymize the data. Wikipedia editions are public platforms where all edits are visible which makes a promise of anonymity very difficult to ensure. We promise to make our best effort.
Study Procedure
editThe study is comprised of two research activities: an online survey (Phase 1) and an interview (Phase2)
For the online survey (Phase 1), participants will complete a 50-60 minute online judgement study where they are asked to read and evaluate sample articles. The survey will consist of two versions of two different health related articles (four total article versions). Participants are asked to judge aspects of the articles such as neutrality and adherence to Simple English editing standards. Participants must complete Phase 1 before being scheduled for an interview (Phase 2).
For the qualitative interviews after the survey, the interviews will be conducted via Zoom or a similar service that operates over the internet (e.g., Google Meet, MS Teams). We expect the interview to last approximately 30 minutes. The study will be conducted in 3 parts. In Part 1, participants will be asked general questions about their editing activity and their motivations for editing health related articles on Wikipedia. In Part 2, participants will be asked questions about editing health related articles for Simple English, and follow-up questions about one of the two topics they saw in the Phase 1 judgement survey. In Part 3, participants will be asked a series of closing questions.
With the permission of the participant the interview will be recorded using the recording feature of Zoom or similar service.
Data Collection
editParticipants’ edit histories will be collected for screening and analysis. Responses to the online judgement scales (Phase 1) will be collected. Before the interview, consent to audio record the interview will be obtained. After the interview, the audio recordings will be transcribed for further analysis. Once transcription has been completed, the audio recordings will be deleted.
Impact of the Study
editThe outcomes of this research are expected to have a significant impact on both the Wikipedia community and the wider audience that relies on Simple English Wikipedia for health information. By delving into the perspectives of Wikipedians and exploring effective models for health-related articles, the study aims to achieve the following:
- Enhancing Accessibility to Health Information
- Supporting Editors in Content Creation
- Improving Article Quality and Consistency
- Addressing Unmet Editor Needs
Results
editTo follow when available.