🤖 AI Summary
This study addresses the persistent decline in administrator numbers across highly active Wikipedia language editions—a trend that threatens the platform’s long-term sustainability. Integrating large-scale log data from 284 language editions since 2018, over 3,000 survey responses, and 12 in-depth interviews, this work reveals for the first time that administrator attrition stems primarily from insufficient recruitment rather than abnormal departures. Key barriers include low awareness of administrative roles, ambiguous eligibility criteria, and overly stringent onboarding procedures. Although a majority of language editions exhibit net growth in administrators, two-thirds of highly active editions show a declining trend. Building on these findings, the study proposes actionable strategies to optimize recruitment processes, offering empirical evidence and practical pathways to strengthen Wikipedia’s governance mechanisms and ensure their sustainability.
📝 Abstract
Wikipedia administrators are vital to the platform's success, performing over a million administrative actions annually. This multi-method study systematically analyzes adminship across 284 Wikipedia languages since 2018, revealing a critical two-sided trend: while over half of all Wikipedias show a net increase in administrators, almost two-thirds of highly active Wikipedias face decline. Our analysis, drawing from large-scale adminship log analysis, over 3000 surveys, and 12 interviews, reveals this decline is primarily driven by insufficient recruitment, not unusual attrition. We identify key barriers for potential administrators, including limited awareness, ambiguous requirements, a demanding selection process, and low initial interest. Recognizing that current administrators remain highly motivated and engaged, we propose actionable recommendations to strengthen recruitment pipelines and fuel Wikipedia administrator growth, crucial for Wikipedia's long-term sustainability.