Decision-making on Wikipedia: an analysis of gender bias and its impact on discoverability and information retrieval

What is it about?

This study examines the pervasive gender bias in Wikipedia’s editorial decision-making processes, focusing on deliberations and voting in the Catalan, Italian, and French editions. It explores how these processes impact the representation of gender diversity, analyzing key issues such as the banning of gender-based categories, the rejection of inclusive language, and the inclusion of trans individuals’ dead names in biographies. Using content analysis of nine decision-making processes from 2014 to 2024, the study reveals systemic resistance to gender diversity, driven by appeals to values, neutrality policies, and community norms. Arguments favoring inclusivity, despite emphasizing ethical considerations and practical reasoning, often failed to secure consensus, perpetuating inequalities and limiting gender-diverse identities' visibility. This research highlights systemic barriers within Wikipedia’s governance and contributes to critical discussions on diversity and equity in digital knowledge platforms.

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