Design Practices for Peer Production

To begin with, ask yourself how users are creating knowledge (e.g. in the form of articles, data classifications or analyses, software code...) in your case. Which steps are possible? How does a complete knowledge production flow look like? Where can users enter the knowledge production? Which steps do they usually take?

Example from Wikipedia: In a very simplified manner, a user creates an article and writes a first draft, which is then extended and improved iteratively by this or other users.

• Knowledge production flow on Public Lab
• Knowledge production flow on iNaturalist
• Would you like to add an article? See Get involved!

Stigmergy is a term from biology, referring, for example, to the coordinated behavior of termites building a termite mound. This system can be uses as a metaphor for online collaboration: Users come together in an online environment (a website) to work towards a shared purpose. They coordinate either directly or indirectly via digital signs in the environment and build upon the work of other users.

Example from Wikipedia:

• Shared purpose: Creation of an open encyclopedia
• Environment: wikipedia.org
• Agents: Users of Wikipedia
• Digital signs:
• Research artifacts: Articles
• Related signs: e.g. talk pages for discussions for every article, red links signalling missing articles, hints for article stubs that need more content
• Accessibility of content/signs: All content (articles, discussions …) is publicly accessible on the platform

• What is stigmergy in web design?
• Transforming comments to questions on Public Lab
• 'I did this!' - A feedback feature for instruction manuals on Public Lab
• Would you like to add an article? See Get involved!

Users self-select which and how many tasks they want to work on, no one assigns them tasks. In addition, there are no formal credentials, e.g. a university degree, needed as an entry requirement

Example from Wikipedia: Without the need to create an account, anyone can in theory edit or create any article.

• The interplay of equipotential self-selection, transparency and range of tasks
• Would you like to add an article? See Get involved!

Which tasks from the knowledge production cycle are available to the users? Do they work mainly on clearly defined microtasks (e.g. classifying data points according to a protocol) or can they also work on more open-ended and conceptual tasks (e.g. creation of new data collection protocols, determination of their own reserach priorities...)?

Example from Wikipedia: Users can decide which topics they would like to write articles about, can conceptualize and write them and give feedback and contribute to articles other people have written.

• Knowledge production flow on Public Lab
• The interplay of equipotential self-selection, transparency and range of tasks
• Knowledge production flow on iNaturalist
• Would you like to add an article? See Get involved!

Tasks should be broken down to smaller modules that fit together as a whole. This helps to attract people with different skills, backgrounds and time available. Also it makes it easier for newcomers if there are smaller and easier tasks available.

Example from Wikipedia: The most salient modules in Wikipedia are articles, whose subparts (sections, paragraphs, etc.) can be edited semi-independently. In addition, templates can be created and reused across articles, and images are reusable across articles and languages.

• Granularity and modularity on Public Lab
• Transforming comments to questions on Public Lab
• Would you like to add an article? See Get involved!

Quality control is performed by the community (communal validation). There are processes to guide coordination in case of conflicts (negotiated coordination).

Example from Wikipedia: There are communal validation mechanisms, like “talk” pages: A discussion page for every article, where validation and coordination takes place. Articles can also be assessed and a grade can be assigned to them, following publicly available and community-built guidelines. There are special roles like “WikiProject coordinators”, who serve as points-of-contact and maintain their respective project, without having any special executive powers.

• Communal validation on Public Lab
• Validation of community IDs on iNaturalist
• 'I did this!' - A feedback feature for instruction manuals on Public Lab
• Would you like to add an article? See Get involved!

Visibility of contribution histories for artifacts and users

Example from Wikipedia: There are automatically generated contribution histories for every article and user.

• The interplay of equipotential self-selection, transparency and range of tasks
• Validation of community IDs on iNaturalist
• Would you like to add an article? See Get involved!

Mechanisms that allow users to learn the necessary skills to participate in the knowledge production

Example from Wikipedia: There are a multitude of guidelines and tutorial sites on writing articles.

How did others solve this? - Articles on this topic

• How learning is encouraged and facilitated on Public Lab
• Issue Briefs on Public Lab
• Validation of community IDs on iNaturalist
• License selection on iNaturalist
• Would you like to add an article? See Get involved!

Communication and socialising mechanisms that help to build and strengthen the community

Example from Wikipedia: There are socializing events, like the annual Wikimania conference, thematic groups, and communication possibilities like forums or chats.

• Examples of social features
• Would you like to add an article? See Get involved!