Wikipedian Editor for Hire

Is It a Conflict of Interest to Write Wikipedia Articles for Pay?

Oct 25, 2009

What does Wikipedia policy say about being paid to edit articles in the encyclopedia? This article in a nutshell: it's not forbidden, but make sure you follow the rules.

To maintain standards of neutrality and verifiability, Wikipedia has an extensive conflict of interest policy. Accepting money for editing Wikipedia is not expressly forbidden, but editors for hire must be certain to comply with the same policies of using reliable sources, establishing notability, and writing in a neutral point of view that are always in effect on the site. In addition, even though a financial arrangement is not automatically considered a conflict of interest, the exact relationship may indicate that such a conflict exists.

Wikipedia's Conflict of Interest Policy

Although the official policy is several pages in length and links to a number of related Wikipedia policies and standards, the COI policy itself is summarized at the top of the page quite succinctly:

"This page in a nutshell: Do not edit Wikipedia to promote your own interests, or those of other individuals or of organizations, including employers, unless you are certain that a neutral editor would agree that your edits are in the best interest of Wikipedia." Arguably, an editor with a blatant conflict of interest in an article (for example, a biographical article about him or herself) could add information that was non-controversial, generally accepted as fact, or cited in a reliable source. In practice, editors are strongly encouraged to disclose their interests publicly and to avoid editing those pages – instead asking an uninvolved editor to review new information and make appropriate changes.

Editing on Behalf of Clients

The conflict of interest policy reminds editors that using Wikipedia for advertising is strictly prohibited, and includes a very clear directive for professional editors: “If you contribute to Wikipedia on behalf of clients, you owe it to both them and the encyclopedia to make very sure you understand the standards for content here, and do not insert promotional material.”

The Wikipedia Reward Board is a page where users offer rewards for the writing and editing of pages on the site. The incentives may simply barter editing one article for another, but offering money is perfectly acceptable. Editors must make payment arrangements privately, as the Wikimedia Foundation does not facilitate these transactions.

When Not to Edit Wikipedia for Pay

The relationship an editor has with a particular subject is the criterion for whether or not a conflict of interest exists. Here are some examples that would likely raise suspicion among editors, particularly if the interest was not disclosed:

When an editor has a financial interest, he or she is very strongly encouraged “to avoid editing Wikipedia in areas where there is a conflict of interest that may make your edits non-neutral (biased).”

Disclosure of Interests

As a rule of thumb, employees and other stakeholders of a company should always disclose this interest publicly and should avoid editing the relevant pages. Wikipedia articles all have a related discussion area (the talk page) which editors that have conflicts should use to suggest edits. Operating in an upfront manner will be appreciated by the community, and may lead the editor in question to become a trusted source of information on the subject.

Having a professional arrangement as a Wikipedia consultant leaves an editor “strongly encouraged” to avoid non-neutral edits, essentially reinforcing that his or her edits will probably receive considerable scrutiny and must be above reproach. An editor for hire would presumably safeguard his or her reputation as an editor very closely, as the ability to do this sort of work depends upon it. Before considering hiring a Wikipedia consultant, review the editor's user talk page on the site – this is where editors interact with one another, and the comments can give good insight into how the prospective editor for hire is regarded by the community. Do not consider hiring an editor that has a number of recent warnings for violating Wikipedia policies, as his or her edits will likely be reverted by more responsible members of the community.

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The copyright of the article Wikipedian Editor for Hire in Business Writing is owned by Terence P Ward. Permission to republish Wikipedian Editor for Hire in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.