Who are the "Heroes of CRISPR"? Public science communication on Wikipedia and the challenge of micro-notability.

ABSTRACT: Wikipedia's influence in shaping public perceptions of science underscores the significance of scientists being recognized on the platform, as it can impact their careers. Although Wikipedia offers guidelines for determining when a scientist qualifies for their own article, it currently lacks guidance regarding whether a scientist should be acknowledged in articles related to the innovation processes to which they have contributed. To explore how Wikipedia addresses this issue of scientific "micro-notability," we introduce a digital method called Name Edit Analysis, enabling us to quantitatively and qualitatively trace mentions of scientists within Wikipedia's articles. We study two CRISPR-related Wikipedia articles and find dynamic negotiations of micro-notability as well as a surprising

SUBMITTER: Simons A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11504141 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature