scholarly journals Citation needed? Wikipedia bibliometrics during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

GigaScience ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Omer Benjakob ◽  
Rona Aviram ◽  
Jonathan Aryeh Sobel

Abstract Background With the COVID-19 pandemic’s outbreak, millions flocked to Wikipedia for updated information. Amid growing concerns regarding an “infodemic,” ensuring the quality of information is a crucial vector of public health. Investigating whether and how Wikipedia remained up to date and in line with science is key to formulating strategies to counter misinformation. Using citation analyses, we asked which sources informed Wikipedia’s COVID-19–related articles before and during the pandemic’s first wave (January–May 2020). Results We found that coronavirus-related articles referenced trusted media outlets and high-quality academic sources. Regarding academic sources, Wikipedia was found to be highly selective in terms of what science was cited. Moreover, despite a surge in COVID-19 preprints, Wikipedia had a clear preference for open-access studies published in respected journals and made little use of preprints. Building a timeline of English-language COVID-19 articles from 2001–2020 revealed a nuanced trade-off between quality and timeliness. It further showed how pre-existing articles on key topics related to the virus created a framework for integrating new knowledge. Supported by a rigid sourcing policy, this “scientific infrastructure” facilitated contextualization and regulated the influx of new information. Last, we constructed a network of DOI-Wikipedia articles, which showed the landscape of pandemic-related knowledge on Wikipedia and how academic citations create a web of shared knowledge supporting topics like COVID-19 drug development. Conclusions Understanding how scientific research interacts with the digital knowledge-sphere during the pandemic provides insight into how Wikipedia can facilitate access to science. It also reveals how, aided by what we term its “citizen encyclopedists,” it successfully fended off COVID-19 disinformation and how this unique model may be deployed in other contexts.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omer Benjakob ◽  
Rona Aviram ◽  
Jonathan Sobel

With the COVID-19 pandemic’s outbreak at the beginning of 2020, millions across the world flocked to Wikipedia to read about the virus. Our study offers an in-depth analysis of the scientific backbone supporting Wikipedia’s COVID-19 articles. Using references as a readout, we asked which sources informed Wikipedia’s growing pool of COVID-19-related articles during the pandemic’s first wave (January-May 2020). We found that coronavirus-related articles referenced trusted media sources and cited high-quality academic research. Moreover, despite a surge in preprints, Wikipedia’s COVID-19 articles had a clear preference for open-access studies published in respected journals and made little use of non-peer-reviewed research up-loaded independently to academic servers. Building a timeline of COVID-19 articles on Wikipedia from 2001-2020 revealed a nuanced trade-off between quality and timeliness, with a growth in COVID-19 article creation and citations, from both academic research and popular media. It further revealed how preexisting articles on key topics related to the virus created a frame-work on Wikipedia for integrating new knowledge. This “scientific infrastructure” helped provide context, and regulated the influx of new information into Wikipedia. Lastly, we constructed a network of DOI-Wikipedia articles, which showed the landscape of pandemic-related knowledge on Wikipedia and revealed how citations create a web of scientific knowledge to support coverage of scientific topics like COVID-19 vaccine development. Understanding how scientific research interacts with the digital knowledge-sphere during the pandemic provides insight into how Wikipedia can facilitate access to science. It also sheds light on how Wikipedia successfully fended of disinformation on the COVID-19 and may provide insight into how its unique model may be deployed in other contexts.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. e040487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ka Siu Fan ◽  
Shahi Abdul Ghani ◽  
Nikolaos Machairas ◽  
Lorenzo Lenti ◽  
Ka Hay Fan ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo evaluate the quality of information regarding the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 available to the general public from all countries.DesignSystematic analysis using the ‘Ensuring Quality Information for Patients’ (EQIP) Tool (score 0–36), Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark (score 0–4) and the DISCERN Tool (score 16–80) to analyse websites containing information targeted at the general public.Data sourcesTwelve popular search terms, including ‘Coronavirus’, ‘COVID-19 19’, ‘Wuhan virus’, ‘How to treat coronavirus’ and ‘COVID-19 19 Prevention’ were identified by ‘Google AdWords’ and ‘Google Trends’. Unique links from the first 10 pages for each search term were identified and evaluated on its quality of information.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesAll websites written in the English language, and provides information on prevention or treatment of COVID-19 intended for the general public were considered eligible. Any websites intended for professionals, or specific isolated populations, such as students from one particular school, were excluded, as well as websites with only video content, marketing content, daily caseload update or news dashboard pages with no health information.ResultsOf the 1275 identified websites, 321 (25%) were eligible for analysis. The overall EQIP, JAMA and DISCERN scores were 17.8, 2.7 and 38.0, respectively. Websites originated from 34 countries, with the majority from the USA (55%). News Services (50%) and Government/Health Departments (27%) were the most common sources of information and their information quality varied significantly. Majority of websites discuss prevention alone despite popular search trends of COVID-19 treatment. Websites discussing both prevention and treatment (n=73, 23%) score significantly higher across all tools (p<0.001).ConclusionThis comprehensive assessment of online COVID-19 information using EQIP, JAMA and DISCERN Tools indicate that most websites were inadequate. This necessitates improvements in online resources to facilitate public health measures during the pandemic.


2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick Brown ◽  
Samantha Gillespie

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the problems that arise when undertaking a financial investigation that involves tracing assets in foreign jurisdictions. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a secondary analysis of data collected as part of a qualitative study of the role of financial investigation in tackling organised crime. This was based on interviews with investigating officers, financial investigators and Crown Prosecution Service representatives associated with 60 cases. Of the 60 cases, 36 were found to have an international dimension. Findings – The study found a number of problems with undertaking overseas financial investigations. These included problems with the letter of request process, difficulties tracking assets in some countries and problems with tracing funds transferred through money service bureaux. Informal contact on a police-to-police basis was generally considered an effective means of improving the quality of information received. Research limitations/implications – This study is based on just 60 cases of organised crime in which financial investigation was used. The extent to which these findings can be generalised to other cases is unclear. Practical implications – The study highlights the most common obstacles to overseas financial investigation that should be addressed. In addition, the importance of informal contact with overseas police jurisdictions may highlight a means of improving requests for assistance. Originality/value – This paper provides an important insight into the views of operational staff undertaking overseas financial investigations and as such highlights the particular difficulties in this work.


Author(s):  
Viktor Ivanovich Shahovsky

The article views a circle of issues connected with the responsibility of contemporary work of media for the quality of information. The metalanguage actual for the new Russian media sphere is generalized. All types of up-to-date information resources are viewed and classified. The types and forms of their content variation are analysed. Special attention is paid to a new information phenomenon – infonoise – whose harmful nature is revealed. Among intended and unintended fluctuations of the language norm there is a process of constructing createmes as a means of communicative freedom, expressivisation and emotionalisation of the media discourse. The journalists are reminded of their responsibility for the quality of information presented to the public. A most significant definition of responsibility including all its necessary notional specifiers is introduced. The absence of these specifiers is illustrated in the information materials, which impedes adequate understanding of them by the mass media consumers and does not lead to the unified reflection. It is stated that the most important of these specifiers is the truthfulness of information. Special attention is paid to the ecological risks of the irresponsibility of some journalists in regard to their fishing, transmitting and broadcasting low-quality information. Emphasis is put on the fact that the practice of journalists represents a specific communicative sphere, which often disorients information consumers. This fact is mostly obvious in connection with incompliance of mass media in a common methodology of presenting information, which has resulted in destruction of the dialogue function of mass media: only the Internet still preserves this function. Highlighted is the role of the language in creating linguistic reality as opposed to the objective one.


Author(s):  
Robert Cox

This chapter introduces the concept of rich picture stories or scenarios to establish a collaborative effort in the design of new information systems. Systems designers need contextual information about their users in order to design and provide information systems that will function effectively and efficiently within those contexts. Story-telling or scenarios allow developers and consumers alike to create that all-important “meeting place” from which comes a collaborative effort in the design of new systems. One of the primary issues inhibiting the further use of storytelling or scenarios in information systems is the issue of validation, which is explored. It is hoped that this chapter will provide insights into the opportunities available to information systems users and designers to improve the quality of information systems through the use of valid user-driven scenarios.


Author(s):  
Morhaf Al Achkar ◽  
Matthew J. Thompson ◽  
Diem Nguyen ◽  
Theresa J. Hoeft

Background. The coronavirus pandemic brought vast quantities of new information to the public for rapid consumption. This study explored how people most impacted by the pandemic have judged and perceived the quality of information regarding COVID-19 and regulated the information flow. Methods. This was a qualitative study of semi-structured interviews developed as a pragmatic study targeting several groups most impacted by the pandemic. Participants were identified through convenience, purposive, and snowball sampling methods. They were interviewed by phone or video conference. Results. Twenty-five participants were interviewed between 6 April 2020 and 1 May 2020. In terms of verifying information and judging its quality, people judged information by the source. People compared information across sources and attempted to verify the quality. Most felt self-assured about their capacity to judge information. Regarding the quality of information, many participants felt the information was skewed or inaccurate. Contradictory information was confusing, especially with a strong suspicion of ulterior motives of information sources impacting trust in the provided information. Yet, some recognized the iterative process of healthcare-related information. In terms of regulating information flow, many participants perceived flooding with information. To counter information overload, some became selective with types of information input. Many developed the habit of taking breaks periodically. Conclusion. Improving risk communication in a pandemic is of paramount importance. Organizations working in public health must develop ways to regulate information flow in collaboration with trusted community partners. Individuals also must develop strategies to improve information management.


2020 ◽  
Vol 63 ◽  
pp. 141-223
Author(s):  
Konrad K. Szymański

One of the planned tasks of the Provenance Working Group (coordinated by the Ossoliński National Institute) for 2018 was to compile a list of libraries with early printed books in their collections. The main objective was to disseminate information about institutions having books printed in the fifteenth–eighteenth centuries in their collections, which in turn would provide scholars studying early printed books in Poland with an insight into the current situation. Common access to the current and, as far as possible, complete data about these collections remains a proposal of librarians from the previous century that is yet to be implemented. The compilation presented here, based largely on public domain data as well as data from printed publications, is an expanded version of the compilation mentioned above. In its present form the material contains a table featuring information about over 369 institutions with early printed books in their holdings in Poland, located in over 163 towns and cities. They include the biggest collections as well as smaller holdings of academic and public libraries or libraries of church institutions, museums and archives all over the country. For most of these sites it has been possible to find, in addition to their current addresses, more or less basic data about their collections of early printed books. Another objective of the present publication — in addition to presenting information about the location and size of the collections — is to examine the condition and quality of information about them. There is still a lot to be done in this respect. Therefore, it is to be hoped that the material presented here will become an inspiration for a verification of the data collected in it as well as a discussion about a common methodology for creating a comprehensive and as complete as possible guide to early printed books in Poland.


2022 ◽  
Vol 962 (1) ◽  
pp. 011002

Abstract All papers published in this volume of IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing. • Type of peer review: Single-blind • Conference submission management system: submissions were received and handled via Conference e-mail: [email protected] • Number of submissions received: 120 • Number of submissions sent for review: 120 • Number of submissions accepted: 63 • Acceptance Rate (Number of Submissions Accepted / Number of Submissions Received × 100): 53 % • Average number of reviews per paper: 2 • Total number of reviewers involved: 18 • Any additional info on the review process: Each paper took 2 weeks for revisions after review; 2 rounds of the review process were applied. Review criteria for manuscripts When reviewing articles, 20 criteria were used. 1 criterion “COMPLIANCE WITH COLLECTION PROFILE”. According to this criterion, it fully corresponded to the profile of the collection of 51 articles, partially corresponded to the profile of the collection – 11, did not correspond to – 57. Thus, according to the first criterion, 57 articles were rejected, 11 were sent for revision, returned from revision and accepted after repeated review 11. Total in the final version of the collection adopted 63 articles. 2 criterion “RECOMMENDED HEADING FOR PUBLICATION”. According to this criterion, the recommended headings were refined in 5 articles, which were accepted after rereview. 3 criterion “PRESENCE OF PLAGIUM” (including auto-plagiarism). There were no rejected articles for this criterion. 4 criterion “CONTENTS”. Rejected for reason - article contains no new information – 17 articles. 5 criterion “TITLE”. According to this criterion, the authors of 3 articles were asked to change the title of the articles. After re-reviewing, these articles were accepted for publication. 6 criterion “ANNOTATION”. Changes have been made to 9 articles. The changes concerned the reduction of the annotation, as its dimensions did not meet the requirements. 7 criterion “INTRODUCTION”. On the recommendation of the editors, changes were made to 7 articles. 8 criterion “METHODS”. According to this criterion, 5 articles were sent for revision. The main reason for the revision was the lack of links to similar foreign articles. 9 criterion “EXPERIMENTAL DATA”. There were no rejected articles for this criterion. 10 criterion “STATISTICAL DATA PROCESSING”. There were no rejected articles for this criterion. 11 criterion “ILLUSTRATIONS AND SIGNATURES”. According to this criterion, it was recommended that 36 authors improve their articles. Basically, all recommendations are technical in nature. Of these, 31 articles were returned for re-review and recommended for publication. 12 criterion “TABLES AND THEIR HEADINGS”. Editors’ comments were of a technical nature. According to the publication requirements, 29 articles were sent for revision. All of them were adopted after the changes made by the authors. 13 criterion “DISCUSSION AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS”. 6 articles were rejected, which were insufficiently substantiated and contained only a listing of the facts obtained. 14 criterion “STYLE OF PRESENTATION”. There were no rejected articles for this criterion. 15 criterion “REFERENCES”. According to this criterion, technical corrections were made in 41 articles, which were accepted after revision by the authors. 16 criterion “LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS”. There were no rejected articles for this criterion. 17 criterion “QUALITY SUMMARY”. There were no rejected articles for this criterion. 18 criterion “THE QUALITY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE OF THE WHOLE TEXT OF THE ARTICLE”. According to this criterion, 5 articles were rejected as the presentation in English was unsatisfactory. The article could not be accepted for publication. 24 articles contained grammatical and stylistic errors in the English version. The authors of these articles were encouraged to correct the corresponding inaccuracies. After the changes were made, 24 articles were accepted for publication. 19 and 20 criteria “CONCLUSION” and “OVERALL PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT”. According to this criterion, 63 articles were recommended for publication by the editors. Of these, 41 articles were required to be revised. The editors rejected 57 articles. Contact person for queries: Name: Oleg V. Korsun, Ph. D. (Biol.) Affiliation: Institute of Natural Resources, Ecology and Cryology SB RAS Email: [email protected]


Information quality frameworks are developed to measure the quality of information systems, generally from the designers’ viewpoint. The recent proliferation of e-services and e-learning particularly raises the need for a new quality framework in the context of e-learning systems. This paper proposes a new information quality framework, with 14 information quality attributes grouped in three quality dimensions: intrinsic, contextual representation and accessibility. This framework could be useful to e-learning systems designers, providers and users as it provides a comprehensive indication of the quality of information in such systems. We report results based on original questionnaire data and factor analysis supporting our conclusions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Nina Suzanne

ANALISIS ERROR DALAM PENGGUNAAN PREPOSISI:Kasus pada Preposisi in, on, dan atAbstractThe use of correct preposition can influence the quality of information in spoken language. However, errors often occur in the use of prepositions, especially, in, on, and at. This research was done to identify the preposition errors made by students when speaking English. The data were obtained from the interview transcription which was used as the source of data from the research done in 2005 by the writer herself about grammatical and diction errors made by the first-year students of SMAN 2 Padang when speaking English. The finding showed that errors in the use of preposition in and at occurred more often than errors in the use of preposition on. The errors are included into two kinds of errors, namely misformation errors (substitution of “in” for “at”, “in” for “on”, “in” for “from”, “at” for “to” and “at” for “in”) and addition errors (addition of “in” and “at”). The finding also proved that the occurrence of errors in the use of prepositions in spoken English language is influenced by the speakers’ first or second language.Key words: preposition errors; preposition in, on, and at; error analysis; spoken language  Abstrak          Penggunaan preposisi yang tepat dapat mempengaruhi kualitas informasi yang diberikan dalam bahasa lisan. Namun, error sering muncul dalam penggunaan preposisi tersebut, khususnya untuk preposisi in, on, dan at. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi apa saja error yang dibuat oleh siswa dalam berbahasa Inggris. Data diperoleh dari transkripsi wawancara yang merupakan sumber data dari penelitian yang dilakukan oleh penulis sendiri pada tahun 2005 mengenai error dalam penggunaan preposisi dan diksi oleh siswa kelas satu SMAN 2 Padang ketika berbicara dalam bahasa Inggris. Temuan memperlihatkan bahwa error dalam penggunaan preposisi in dan at lebih sering muncul daripada error dalam penggunaan preposisi on. Error tersebut dikategorikan ke dalam dua jenis error yaitu misformation dan addition. Hasil penelitian juga membuktikan bahwa munculnya error dalam penggunaan preposisi ketika berbahasa Inggris dipengaruhi oleh bahasa ibu atau bahasa kedua siswa.Kata kunci: error dalam penggunaan preposisi; preposisi in, on, dan at; analisis error; bahasa lisan


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