Quality teamwork on Wikipedia: Interpersonal communication networks as a social capital booster

Abstract With the growing ubiquity of virtual collaboration, it is important to understand what contributes to effective online teamwork. In large, online social systems, public, task‐related discussions are vital for effectiveness, but direct, interpersonal communication may also play a role. We hypothesize that the positive effects of direct communication on online teamwork may be due to its role in building social capital. To verify this proposition, we analyzed network properties of interpersonal communication among Wikipedia editors, employing novel measures from network science ‐ Effective Information ‐ to measure social capital. We discovered that groups producing high‐quality articles have communication networks that allow for local sharing of knowledge as well as for integration of information among the whole group: a structure promoting high social capital. Our results underscore the importance of direct communication for groups collaborating online and suggest that platforms for such communities should allow for ample one‐on‐one interactions.