Conflict and Control: Dispute Resolution and Community Stature on English Wikipedia

Abstract

Wikipedia exemplifies the potential for large groups of people to work together to produce digital public goods. As in any large collaboration, disputes inevitably arise among Wikipedia’s editors. On English Wikipedia, the thorniest disputes are adjudicated by an elected group of volunteers known as the Arbitration Committee (ArbCom), with input from other active editors. We assembled a dataset of 1,483 proposed arbitration cases that occurred between 2004 and 2023 on English Wikipedia, to explore how a Wikipedian’s stature within the editing community (in terms of their role, duration of participation, and number of edits contributed), impacts the dispute resolution process. Our initial findings show that Wikipedians who participate in ArbCom deliberations are dramatically more experienced than the average Wikipedia editor. Additionally, the stature of a user filing a case to be heard by ArbCom is associated with the likelihood of ArbCom accepting their case. This inquiry helps us understand the dynamics of participation in the rule-making and self-sanctioning processes within a long-standing community dedicated to maintaining information commons.