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Wikipedia – Cultural patterns in collaborative authorship

In 'Wikipedia – Cultural patterns in collaborative authorship', two subprojects examine the collaborative online encyclopaedia Wikipedia in its capacity as a realm for the negotiation of cultural patterns: print-based conventions of an (encyclopedic-)linguistic and iconographic nature (specific imagery) are adapted and transformed in the context of collective digital writing. These processes are reflected implicitly in the articles and explicitly in the authors' discussions of the articles.

Wikipedia – Kulturelle Muster in kollaborativer Autorschaft

A comparison of the different language versions reveals systematic differences in the content, language and illustrative imagery of the articles, all of which evince the influence of cultural parameters. Controversial content, such as articles on historical-political topics, lend themselves particularly well as starting points for such research since the exchange of views between the participating authors entails the negotiation of cultural-specific narratives and value systems (national stereotypes, collective perceptions of history) as well as visual preferences (image motifs). By paying regard to the image component, the subproject manages to break with the text-centred research tradition on Wikipedia and contribute to a better appreciation of the online encyclopedia as an expression of culturally determined processes of understanding.

Principal investigators: Professor Ursula Reutner (Chair of Romance Languages and Culture) and Professor Daniela Wawra (Chair for English Language and Culture)

Research supervisor

Professor Ursula Reutner

Professor Ursula Reutner

researches cultural patterns

Where will digitalisation take us: towards a unified culture or ever greater diversity?

Where will digitalisation take us: towards a unified culture or ever greater diversity?

Professor Ursula Reutner has held the Chair of Romance Languages and Cultures of the University of Passau since 2009; since 2014 she has held the post of Vice President for International Relations.

Prof. Dr. Daniela Wawra

Professor Daniela Wawra

researches digital public relations

In what ways do collectives construct digital spaces for public relations?

In what ways do collectives construct digital spaces for public relations?

Professor Daniela Wawra is Vice President for Study, Teaching and International Matters at the University of Passau. She has held the Chair of English Language and Culture of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities since 2010.

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