Analysis of Persian Wikipedia Articles in the Field of Library and Information Science

Objective: Wikipedia is a social multilingual encyclopedia that integrates all information about a particular topic on its platform. The present study aims to analyze the thematic content of Persian articles contributed in the field of library and information science (LIS) in Wikipedia and to identify the thematic gaps in this field. Materials and Methods: The data were collected using two different methods: document analysis and observation. In the first and second phases of the study, 591 Persian articles written in the categories of Library and Information Science and other related sub-categories were identified and analyzed. Then, their thematic content and gaps were investigated using a checklist developed based on the JITA Classification System of LIS. The collected data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Findings: The results revealed the following thematic content distribution of Persian articles written in the field of Library and Information Science in Wikipedia based on the JITA Classification System: “I. Information treatment for information services” class with 134 articles (22.69% out of 591 articles), “H. Information sources, supports, channels” class with 126 articles (21.32%), “L. Information technology and library technology” class with 84 articles (14.24%), “E. Publishing and legal issues” class with 58 articles (9.82%), “B. Information use and sociology of information” class with 57 articles (9.65%), “G. Industry, profession and education” class with 51 articles (8.64%), “D. Libraries as physical collections” class with 40 articles (6.78%), “A. Theoretical and general aspects of libraries and information” class with 16 articles (2.72%), “J. Technical services in libraries, archives, museum” class with 10 articles (1.7%), “F. Management” class with 9 articles (1.52%), “C. Users, literacy and reading” class with 4 articles (0.68%), and “K. Housing technologies” class with 2 articles (0.34%). Conclusion: Due to the thematic dispersion of Persian Wikipedia articles, Iranian LIS professionals should improve the quantity and quality of Persian articles on Wikipedia, especially on topics with thematic gaps. While reviewing the articles, it was observed that some articles were weak in terms of content and scope. It is suggested that librarians, information specialists, and information professionals help Wikipedia to strengthen and improve its articles, which in turn benefits the millions of users around the world