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

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

SUBMITTER: Benjakob O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8756189 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature