User-Generated Content Shapes Judicial Reasoning: Evidence From a Randomized Control Trial on Wikipedia

Published in: Information Systems Research 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2023.0034 (open access)

29 Pages Posted: 18 Jan 2023 Last revised: 26 Mar 2024

See all articles by Neil Thompson

Neil Thompson

MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL); MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy

Xueyun Luo

Cornell University, Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management

Brian McKenzie

Maynooth University

Edana Richardson

National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUI Maynooth) - Faculty of Law

Brian Flanagan

National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUI Maynooth) - Faculty of Law

Date Written: January 18, 2023

Abstract

Legal professionals have access to many different sources of knowledge, including user-generated Wikipedia articles that summarize previous judicial decisions (i.e., precedents). While these Wikipedia articles are easily accessible, they have unknown provenance and reliability and therefore using them in professional settings is problematic. Nevertheless, Wikipedia articles influence legal judgments, as we show using a randomized control trial.

We find that the presence of a Wikipedia article about Irish Supreme Court decisions makes it meaningfully more likely that the corresponding case will be cited as a precedent by judges in subsequent decisions. The language used in the Wikipedia article also influences the language used in judgments. These effects are only present for citations by the High Court, not for the higher levels of the judiciary (Court of Appeal and Supreme Court). Since the High Court faces higher caseloads, this may indicate that settings with greater time pressures encourage greater reliance on Wikipedia.

Our results add to the growing recognition that Wikipedia and other frequently-accessed sources of user-generated content have profound effects on important social outcomes. Greater attention should therefore be paid to ensuring that they contain the highest quality of information.

Keywords: Courts, Wikipedia, randomised control trial, media, user-generated content

Suggested Citation

Thompson, Neil and Luo, Xueyun and McKenzie, Brian and Richardson, Edana and Flanagan, Brian, User-Generated Content Shapes Judicial Reasoning: Evidence From a Randomized Control Trial on Wikipedia (January 18, 2023). Published in: Information Systems Research 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2023.0034 (open access), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4327890 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4327890

Neil Thompson

MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) ( email )

32 Vassar Street
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Cambridge, MA 02142
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617-324-6029 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.neil-t.com

MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy ( email )

77 Massachusetts Avenue
50 Memorial Drive
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
United States

Xueyun Luo

Cornell University, Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management ( email )

Ithaca, NY
United States

Brian McKenzie

Maynooth University ( email )

Edana Richardson

National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUI Maynooth) - Faculty of Law ( email )

Maynooth, County Kildare
Ireland

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/people/edana-richardson

Brian Flanagan (Contact Author)

National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUI Maynooth) - Faculty of Law ( email )

Maynooth, County Kildare
Ireland

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