Tracing Team Dynamics in Wikipedia: a sociodigital perspective

Thomas Baillie-Dawe (), Cécile Bothorel () and Nicolas Jullien ()
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Thomas Baillie-Dawe: IMT Atlantique - DSD - Département de Science des Données - IMT Atlantique - IMT Atlantique - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris], Lab-STICC_DECIDE - Equipe DECIDE - Lab-STICC - Laboratoire des sciences et techniques de l'information, de la communication et de la connaissance - ENIB - École Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Brest - UBO EPE - Université de Brest - Bretagne INP - Institut National Polytechnique de Bretagne - UBS - Université de Bretagne Sud - UBO EPE - Université de Brest - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - IMT Atlantique - IMT Atlantique - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] - ENSTA - École Nationale Supérieure de Techniques Avancées - IP Paris - Institut Polytechnique de Paris, LEGO - Laboratoire d'Economie et de Gestion de l'Ouest - UBS - Université de Bretagne Sud - UBO EPE - Université de Brest - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] - IBSHS - Institut Brestois des Sciences de l'Homme et de la Société - UBO EPE - Université de Brest - UBL - Université Bretagne Loire - IMT Atlantique - IMT Atlantique - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris]
Cécile Bothorel: IMT Atlantique - DSD - Département de Science des Données - IMT Atlantique - IMT Atlantique - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris], Lab-STICC_DECIDE - Equipe DECIDE - Lab-STICC - Laboratoire des sciences et techniques de l'information, de la communication et de la connaissance - ENIB - École Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Brest - UBO EPE - Université de Brest - Bretagne INP - Institut National Polytechnique de Bretagne - UBS - Université de Bretagne Sud - UBO EPE - Université de Brest - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - IMT Atlantique - IMT Atlantique - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] - ENSTA - École Nationale Supérieure de Techniques Avancées - IP Paris - Institut Polytechnique de Paris
Nicolas Jullien: MARSOUIN - Môle Armoricain de Recherche sur la SOciété de l'information et des usages d'INternet - UR - Université de Rennes - UBS - Université de Bretagne Sud - ENSAI - Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Analyse de l'Information [Bruz] - GENES - Groupe des Écoles Nationales d'Économie et Statistique - UBO EPE - Université de Brest - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] - UR2 - Université de Rennes 2 - UBL - Université Bretagne Loire - IMT Atlantique - IMT Atlantique - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris], LEGO - Laboratoire d'Economie et de Gestion de l'Ouest - UBS - Université de Bretagne Sud - UBO EPE - Université de Brest - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] - IBSHS - Institut Brestois des Sciences de l'Homme et de la Société - UBO EPE - Université de Brest - UBL - Université Bretagne Loire - IMT Atlantique - IMT Atlantique - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris], IMT Atlantique - DI2S - Département Interdisciplinaire de Sciences Sociales - IMT Atlantique - IMT Atlantique - IMT - Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris]

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Abstract: A team can be understood as a group of individuals working together towards a shared goal, characterized by a degree of stability while interacting and coordinating their efforts. However, the nature and outcome of teams varies depending on their structure, temporal boundaries and the mechanisms regulating their functioning. In the context of Wikipedia, teams are not always explicitly defined or prescribed; rather, they emerge dynamically through collaboration on articles, discussions, and other editorial activities. We conceptualize Wikipedia teams through multiple registers: (1) regulation, which encompasses the formal and informal rules that govern interactions and shape long-term collaboration; (2) production, where a team contributes to the creation and improvement of content, akin to a collective production process; (3) interaction and communication, which define the intensity and nature of engagement among contributors; and (4) entry of new participants and controversies, which may redefine the team's composition and direction over time. In this context, we aim to operationalize teams within Wikipedia by analyzing patterns of co-editing, discussion participation, and revision activities. We rely on Wikipedia Dumps, which are periodic snapshots that capture revision history, user activity, and edit metadata while omitting article text. Rather than assuming fixed team structures, we adopt a dynamic perspective where teams can be seen as evolving networks of contributors interacting within specific timeframes. By constructing co-editing graphs, where users and pages form nodes and revisions create edges, we can identify clusters of collaboration, measure their density, and track their evolution over time. Additionally, we will examine how coordination occurs beyond direct interactions—through shared project goals, implicit regulatory mechanisms, and task-oriented structures. This approach allows us to explore both the formation and regulation of teams, as well as their impact on content quality and platform governance.

Keywords: Wikipedia; Social Computing; Computer-Supported Cooperative Work &; Computational Social Sciences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-09-22
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Published in 11th Social Science Methodology Conference of RC33, Sep 2025, Naples, Italy

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05441924

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