Measuring Public Relations Wikipedia Engagement: How Bright is the Rule?

Measuring Public Relations Wikipedia Engagement: How Bright is the Rule? - scientific work related to Wikipedia quality published in 2012, written by Marcia W. DiStaso.

Overview

Wikipedia has become almost a staple in society, and its prominence in search engines and frequency of use make it a very powerful website. While the goal of Wikipedia is to be considered an accurate and reliable resource (Wikipedia: Why NPOV, 2012), this study found that the “bright line” rule as co-founder Jimmy Wales has called it, is not working. This rule forbids public relations/communications professionals from editing Wikipedia articles for their company or clients and results in providing the public with inaccurate, outdated, and incomplete information, ultimately undermining Wikipedia’s value as a resource. While direct editing is not the only option that can provide accurate information, this study found that other means such as using the talk pages lack timeliness and oftentimes cooperation within the Wikipedia community.