Impact and reliable knowledge through Wikipedia – the next step in universities’ OA work?
Wikipedia – the world’s most widely used open encyclopedia
Wikipedia is a global open‑source encyclopedia. It consistently ranks among the world’s 10 most viewed websites (Top Websites Ranking 12/2025). Wikipedia is available in more than 300 languages, and the largest of the Wikipedias, the English‑language version, contains about 7 million articles (Wikipedia: Statistics, 27 January 2026).
Wikipedia is a source where people often begin their information searches. It is an approachable channel and highly visible in search engines.
The COVID‑19 pandemic highlighted the importance of open, research‑based information. The accessibility of health research became particularly significant, and the role of scientific research grew. Adam Harangozó, the Wikipedia‑in‑Residence at the UK’s National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), asked: “Where should we share health information, if not where people are already looking?” (Harangozó 2022; see also Maishman 2022).
Harangozó is NIHR’s first Wikipedia‑in‑Residence, hired specifically to promote the visibility of research and to combat misinformation circulating online.
Wikipedia’s reputation has been questioned, but research shows that the quality is better than the reputation suggests (see Reliability of Wikipedia; Areia et al. 2025).
Wikipedia’s active community strives to address errors quickly and upholds rules to ensure quality. Challenges naturally exist – there is a vast amount to check – but the fundamental principles of openness and transparency remain. One of the most essential rules is that content must be based on reliable sources, and those sources must be verifiable.
Researchers whose work has been cited on Wikipedia also report mostly positive experiences. Areia et al. (2025) gathered data from researchers whose publications had been cited on Wikipedia, and according to the responses, the citations were usually considered both relevant and placed in the correct context. Differences existed, of course, but overall the study reinforced the view of Wikipedia as a reliable channel that supports scientific research.
Although biases exist – such as content-related and geographical gaps – these are precisely the kinds of issues that we ourselves can influence. As Wikipedia editors like to say: if you see an error, fix it.
Ways to use Wikipedia
Wikipedia can be used for many purposes, including:
- Improving the visibility of scientific knowledge
- As part of the course work (science communication; information literacy)
- Promoting the democratization of science
The impact of Wikipedia on the visibility of scientific articles
According to Thompson & Hanley (2018), who studied the impact of Wikipedia on the visibility of scientific articles, citing an article on Wikipedia significantly increases the visibility of the original research.
Wikipedia itself is not cited, but it serves like a review article: it summarizes the topic and directs readers to the original articles.
The difference is, that Wikipedia views are enormous compared to traditional review articles. (Harangozó, see Maishman 2022)
A clear positive correlation was also found by Banasik‑Jemielniak et al. (2021), who identified a relationship between Wikipedia citations and traditional citations, both in terms of quantity and timing. They suggest, that the Wikipedia citation rate could, alongside traditional citations indices, serve as a useful indicator of research impact (see also Gutiérrez 2026).
Wikipedia is also cost‑efficient. According to Thompson & Hanley (2018), visibility in Wikipedia is approximately 120% more cost‑effective than gaining visibility through traditional means, such as conference presentations. Research behind paywalls gains visibility, and editing is quick and easy. Editing also offers opportunities to build connections and networks (Goldstein 2017).
Thompson & Hanley (2018) therefore hope that their findings will motivate researchers to create new Wikipedia articles and to expand existing ones. Public policy and funding conditions should also encourage this, the researchers state.
Many universities also promote this. For example, Uppsala University encourages its researchers to share research findings through Wikipedia. Similarly, the University of Edinburgh, where Wikipedia‑related activities have been ongoing for a long time. (Uppsala University, 2026; McAndrew & Thomas, 2020). Hiring a dedicated Wikipedia specialist alongside other educators could even be a cost-effective investment for universities (Lubbock 2018; see also Pascoe 2025).
Wikipedia articles are also highly visible in search engines. According to research by Safran (see Joorabchi & Mahdi 2018), Wikipedia articles appear on the Google results page in 60 percent of informational queries. And in 66 percent of cases Wikipedia articles appear at the top. Research by McMahon et al. (2017; see Joorabchi & Mahdi 2018) also shows the mutually beneficial interdependence between Wikipedia and Google.
Publishers also want to be on Wikipedia
Because Wikipedia is so popular, publishers also want their articles to be visible on Wikipedia. More than 100 publishers have already given Wikipedia editors free access to millions of their peer‑reviewed articles to enable better possibilities for verifying references and adding citations (Wikipedia Library 2026; Sage Publishing 2022; see also Helps 2022).
If an article is open access, its visibility is even greater. If an article is OA, the likelihood that it will be cited on Wikipedia increases by 47 percent. (Helps 2022)
Wikipedia as part of information literacy education
Researchers themselves are the most reliable contributors to Wikipedia, but updates can also be done as part of course assignments. In such cases, the coursework may involve 1) analyzing existing Wikipedia articles, 2) adding links or information to articles, or 3) writing an entirely new Wikipedia article on a completely new topic or in a new language.
At the same time, students learn to evaluate information critically, how knowledge is produced, and recognize the importance of their own agency. According to feedback,
students felt a sense of meaning when they realized they could influence global knowledge creation themselves.
Their understanding of social justice also broadened. Many felt privileged once they realized, that a vast number of people in the world lack access to the information that they, as university students, can access.
Overall, courses based on Wikipedia editing, increased students’ information literacy, peer‑review skills, and ability to identify biases in their own thinking. They also increased quality. This is because an open assignment was perceived as more meaningful than a text seen only by a teacher. The activity was also seen as beneficial for career development and increased the desire to produce open knowledge in the future. In other words, Wikipedia can help cultivate a more open generation of researchers. (Wikipedia and Academic Libraries 2021; Soito 2017; Wikimedia in Education; Arslan & Turk 2024; Sélem‑Mojica 2025).
Wikipedia’s role in the age of AI? More important than ever
What about artificial intelligence? Is Wikipedia still needed in the age of AI? (see e.g. Reeves et al. 2024; Wagner & Jiang, 2025). The answer is yes.
According to Finney & Baleta (2025), Wikipedia’s role is now even more important. This is because misinformation spreads widely online, while Wikipedia is a curated channel. It is precisely the curation that makes Wikipedia valuable. Dedicated editors – now partly assisted by AI tools – do their best to ensure that the content is verified. There will, however, still be issues to improve.
That is why it is important, more important than ever, that universities and researchers also participate in updating Wikipedia.
Finney & Baleta (2025) encourage researchers and emphasize that on Wikipedia research-based knowledge gains visibility and at the same time, researchers can, together and actively, build an open and reliable counterforce against misinformation.
The next step in universities’ open science work?
People need access to research findings in order to make informed decisions - presented in a form they can access and understand, preferably in multiple languages. This is a matter of democracy. Research-based knowledge should therefore be brought to where people are, rather than expecting people to find their way to science. Wikipedia could serve as a platform for this - an easily accessible, open, reliable, and multilingual platform.
Could this also be a natural continuation of JYU's open science work?
Science truly for everyone.
Marja-Leena Harjuniemi
Information Specialist, Open Science Centre
