Wikipedia talk:Did you know/Studying bias in DYK deWP

Potential bias in selection of DYK (de) items on main page

Over in the German-language Wikipedia we recently had a discussion about potential bias in the selection of DYK nominations and in what is subsequently shown as DYK items on the Main Page. Please find below my suggestion of 8 July 2013 on how to conduct some research into the second of the two aspects (outcome). Please let me know what you think, cheers --Pipifaxa 07:45, 18 July 2013 (UTC)

Hypothesis: DYK's equivalent on deWP shows a multiple bias

Multiple bias in DYK deWP is shown by highlighting the following factors in the featured selection:

• ethno-centrism and nationalism, racism,
• arrogant physical norms of human bodies; norms that are based on anti-human sentiments,
• a shortage of knowledge from diverse cultures and worldviews,
• heterocentrism, phobia of bi, homo, intersex and trans people; more generally a kind of sexism that links to a worldview made up of two genders exclusively,
• classism in the sense that what counts as relevant for Wikipedia is written from the point of view of people who are economically privileged and/or privileged by profession; moreover, standard knowledge from non-privileged groups is not represented,
• [it is expected that this list will become longer as we move on with data evaluation and their interpretation; this expectation forms an integral part of the hypothesis]

Which method to use?

Suggestion 1: Tagging of teasers from a certain period of time, then decide on how to go on

Q: Why tag the teasers themselves and not simply use the categories of the articles that they link to?

A: The wording of the teasers is more relevant for mooring a certain bias in the public awarenesss of deWP.

Clarification: The keywords to be used for tagging refer to the factors listed in the hypothesis of multiple bias. Hence the terns used in the tagging process do not refer to the categories that have currently been established in deWP.

Rationale: The categories that are currently considered valid in deWP are internal to the system to be evaluated. Contrasting results can be achieved by a more external view only.

Clarification: Suggestion 1 acts according to the hypothesis that the categories considered valid by the deWP community already show a certain bias. [This subhypothesis is made explicit here for some transparency but is not intended to become part of suggestion 1.]

Example tagging (2013-01-02 deWP)

from: DYK(de) archive for January 2013

my translation into English:

"The discovery of aerofoil vibration made by Ilse Esser in 1926 is still of high importance today."
 Engineering; Germany; Western Germany; Knowledge impact; Science; Physics; Discovery;
 Vibration; Airplane; Woman*; 20thC;   
Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Essers-1941.jpg
 Portrait; Woman*;

cf. the original in German:

"Die 1926 von Ilse Essers gemachte Entdeckung zum Schwingungs­verhalten von Tragflächen
ist bis heute von großer Bedeutung."
 Ingenieurwesen; DE; Westdeutschland; Wirkung von Wissen; Wissenschaft; Physik; 
 Entdeckung; Schwingung; Flugzeug; Frau*; 20._Jahrhundert;
Abb.: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Essers-1941.jpg
 Portraitfoto; Frau*;