Researchers in the field of religious studies are invited to contribute their expertise to help identify authorial editorial bias across in different branches of Wikipedia. Existing research demonstrates that the problem is often one of absence.
Background
In 2021, research funded by the Wikimedia Foundation found that Western artists were over-represented in European-language versions of Wikipedia. In English-language Wikipedia, for example, lists of sculptors, painters-by-nationality, and contemporary visual artists were dominated by Western exempla (from 75 to 99 per cent of those listed).
Another keen example of the European bias was coverage of Vatican City’s Sistine Chapel and Istanbul’s Sultan Ahmed Mosque—sacred sites with similar annual visitor numbers. When releasing a pre-review version of their findings, the researchers explained:
“Whilst both Michelangelo and Syed Kasim Gubari are considered geniuses within their respective cultures, Michelangelo’s Wikipedia articles total over 440 times greater length than Gubari and the Blue Mosque Ceiling does not have a single entry across the Wikimedia projects.” (Source: wikimedia.org.uk.)
Comparatively, the open-source knowledge base of Asian language Wikipedia shows a more global approach. (Further detail is available in the peer-reviewed open access article: Representation of Non-Western Cultural Knowledge on Wikipedia: The Case of the Visual Arts, Digital Studies / Le champ numérique 13.1—Waqas Ahmed & Martin Lewis Poulter, digitalstudies.org, 2023.)
More than theoretical
The researchers’ intentions were not merely theoretical: The Khalili Foundation carried out follow-up work to address gaps in visual arts representation, helping to organise an Edit-a-thon with Oxford University students, for example—documented in this DPhil student’s report (via krc.web.ox.ac.uk).
New opportunity: Religions and worldviews
This year the researchers have again partnered—with sponsorship from Culham St Gabriel’s Trust and the Khalili Foundation—to examine the representation of religions and worldviews across Wikipedia. The research is ongoing and expected to result in operational recommendations for Wiki-editing communities.
A call is now out for expert input, from researchers and practitioners in the field of religion and religious studies—and with an invitation to contribute by attending an online session on Wednesday 25 October 2023, 2–3pm UK time. This is a chance to connect with other experts and contribute to improving quality and representation in Wikipedia—the most widely used online resource for cultural knowledge. Those interested should contact Waqas Ahmed—director of the Khalili Foundation, and presently a co-researcher at the Cambridge Centre for Resilience and Sustainable Development and Visiting Scholar in the Department of Land Economy—for further information.
At the Cambridge Interfaith Programme, we look forward to contributing to this important conversation, and encourage others to get involved. We will then await the findings and recommendations with interest.