Successful Newcomers Survey 2025 (English Wikipedia) Questionnaire

Background

In this section, we'll ask you a bit about your Wikipedia editing, and how you started editing.

Which device(s) do you use to edit Wikipedia? Select all that apply.

A desktop computer or laptop
A mobile phone, using my browser (e.g. Chrome, Safari)
A mobile phone, using the Wikipedia App
A tablet
Other:

Before you made the account you currently use to edit, had you ever edited Wikipedia before?

No, I didn’t know I could edit before making an account
No, this account is the first time I’ve edited
Yes, I made edits without registering for an account (we call these IP edits, or “anonymous” edits)
Yes, I had an account before that I used to edit, but lost access to it
Yes, I had an account before, but wanted to start with a new one

Why did you first decide to create an account? Select all that apply.

To fix a typo or error in a Wikipedia article
To add or change information in a Wikipedia article
To add a photo or image to a Wikipedia article
To create a new Wikipedia article
I was participating in a program, class, or editing event
I wanted to learn to edit Wikipedia in general, without a specific change or article in mind
To read Wikipedia
Other:

Before you started editing, how often did you read Wikipedia?

I had never read Wikipedia before I edited
A few times a year or less
A few times a month
A few times a week
Every day, or almost every day
Other:

Before today, did you know that Wikipedia has a mobile app? (Only for those who did not select the app for editing)

No
No, but I figured an app likely exists
Yes, but I haven’t used it
Yes, I use or have used it to read but not edit
Yes, and I use or have used it to edit

Tools and Features

Wikipedia has a lot of different tools for editing, but we think some of them are harder to find than others. We’d like your help to figure out which tools newer editors are discovering easily, and which ones might need a little more attention.

Don't worry if you don't know about something, we'll give you links to all the tools we ask you about at the end of the survey!

Which of these options is closest to your experience using these editing tools?

(Matrix scale from "Never heard of this" to "I use this all the time")

Article Talk Pages (where editors discuss changes to articles)
Article Revision History (a record of changes to an article)
Watchlist (where you can add specific articles to a list and view their recent changes)
My Contributions (a record of your own edits to different articles)
Sandbox (a personal space for editors where they can practice editing or drafting an article)

A "User page" is a place where editors can write about themselves or add whatever they’d like other editors to see about them. Have you created your User page?

No, I didn't know I could have a user page
No, I knew I could have a user page but haven't made one
Yes, I've made my user page

A user’s "Talk page" is usually the primary way to contact an editor. Have you ever visited your own Talk page?

No, I didn't know I have a Talk page
No, I knew it exists but haven't visited it
Yes, I've visited it and it's empty
Yes, I've visited it and received automated messages
Yes, I've visited it and received personal messages from other editors
Yes, I've visited it and responded to messages from other editors

Your user "Preferences" page is where you can change your various settings for editing Wikipedia. Have you ever visited your user settings or preferences?

No, I didn't know this exists
No, I knew (or figured) this exists but haven't visited the page
Yes, I've visited or changed my settings in Preferences

A "Homepage" is a newer feature which shows editors statistics about their edits (also known as "Impact") and provides suggestions for articles to work on (called "Suggested Edits"). Have you ever visited your Homepage?

No, I didn’t know this exists
No, I’ve heard of it but I haven’t visited it
Yes, I’ve visited it but I didn’t find it very useful
Yes, I’ve visited it but I found it overwhelming
Yes, I’ve used it to keep track of my edits
Yes, I’ve used it to get suggestions for articles to edit
Other:

Do you know if you were assigned a mentor through your Homepage? (Only for Homepage users.)

I'm not sure
No, I wasn't assigned a mentor
Yes, I was assigned a mentor

Have you ever asked your mentor a question? (Only for Homepage users who have a mentor.)

No, I've never visited their page
No, I didn't know I could ask them questions
No, I haven't had any questions for them
No, it felt too intimidating to ask them a question
No, I didn't think my mentor would be helpful
Yes, I've asked them a question

Did your mentor respond to your question(s)? (Only for Homepage users who asked their mentor a question.)

No, they didn't respond
Yes, and it was helpful
Yes, but it wasn't helpful (for example, the response was too late, or didn't answer my question)
I'm not sure
Other

Before today, did you think your assigned mentor was a human or a robot (like an automated message bot or chat bot)? (Only for Homepage users who have a mentor.)

Definitely a robot
Probably a robot
I'm not sure whether they were a human or a robot
Probably a human
Definitely a human
Other:

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the Suggested Edits you've seen or made through the Homepage? (Only for Homepage users who used Suggested Edits.)

(5-point agreement scale)

I usually learn something interesting from the articles that are suggested to me
I'm usually able to find articles that are relevant to my interests
The topic filters help me to find articles I want to edit
The suggested edits are too difficult to work on
I wish I could save some suggestions to work on later
The topic filters are specific enough to match my interests

When you have a question about editing, how do you get it answered?

I haven’t had any questions about editing so far
Before today, I didn’t know of any ways to get my questions answered
Searching for guidance and policy pages through the Wikipedia search bar or on-wiki links
Searching for past responses on Talk pages, the Teahouse or other on-wiki community spaces
Asking on article Talk pages
Asking on the Teahouse
Asking on a WikiProject page
On off-wiki community channels like Discord, IRC, Reddit or others
Searching on Google, DuckDuckGo, or other search engines
Asking generative AI tools like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Gemini or others
Other:

Earlier in the survey, you said a mobile phone is one device you use to edit Wikipedia. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about editing on your phone?

"When I'm editing on my mobile phone, it's easy to..." (Only for mobile editors.)

(5-point agreement scale)

...type or format text
...navigate the editing interface
...find the "edit" button
...find edits that I can do on my phone
...preview my edits
...save (or publish) my edits
...add references or citations
...make a longer edit (more than a few sentences)
...use article or user Talk pages
...check the revision history or "diffs" of an article
...refer to policy or help pages
...add an image to an article

Do you have any thoughts on how we can make editing on mobile easier, or just things you'd like to share that are especially difficult or bother you about editing on your phone? (Only for mobile editors) - Open text.

Community Spaces

In this section, we'll ask you a bit about Wikipedia community spaces where editors can interact with each other. Like in the last section about tools, we think some of them are harder to find than others. We’d like your help to figure out which spaces newer editors are discovering easily, and which ones might need a little more attention.

The Teahouse is a forum where newer editors can ask questions about editing. Have you ever visited the Teahouse?

No, I didn’t know this exists
No, I’ve heard of it but I haven’t visited it
Yes, I’ve visited it but haven't yet found a need to use it
Yes, I’ve used it to find answers from existing conversations
Yes, I’ve used it to ask questions

Other editors also have User pages. Have you ever visited another editor’s User page?

No, I didn’t know editors could have user pages
No, I knew users editors have user pages but haven’t visited any
Yes, I looked at another editor’s page to find out more about them after seeing their edit or interacting with them
Yes, I looked at another editor’s page to get ideas for how to make my own user page
Other:

Other editors also have Talk pages. Have you ever visited another editor’s Talk page?

No, I didn’t know editors have Talk pages
No, I knew they exist but I haven’t visited any
Yes, I’ve visited another editor’s Talk page
Yes, I’ve visited and posted a question or comment to another editor’s Talk page

There are also event and contest pages where editors can join an editing campaign, or compete towards a goal. Have you ever visited an event or contest page?

No, I didn’t know these exist
No, I knew they exist but I haven’t visited any
Yes, I’ve visited an event or contest page but haven’t joined
Yes, I’ve visited and joined an event or contest

WikiProjects are places where editors collaborate on a topic theme or type of editing. Have you ever visited a WikiProject?

No, I didn’t know WikiProjects exist
No, I knew they exist but I haven’t visited any
Yes, I’ve visited a WikiProject but haven't found one I wanted to join yet
Yes, I’ve visited a WikiProject but found it overwhelming or intimidating
Yes, I’ve visited a WikiProject to look for articles to edit but didn’t formally join (e.g. by adding my username on the project page or adding a badge to my user page)
Yes, I’ve visited and joined a WikiProject

Affiliates (also known as chapters and user groups) are recognized groups of users who work together on themes and organize events. Before today, had you heard of Wikimedia Affiliates?

No, I didn’t know these exist
I knew they exist but haven’t seen much about them
Yes, I’ve visited affiliate pages
Yes, I started editing because of an affiliate event (like an edit-a-thon)
Yes, I’ve joined an affiliate

Interacting with other editors

In this section, we'll ask you a little bit about your interactions with other editors.

Wikipedia has a "Thanks" feature that allows editors to thank each other for specific edits. Have you ever been thanked by another editor using the "Thanks" feature?

I didn't know I could be thanked by another editor
No, I've never been thanked by another editor
Yes, I've been thanked by another editor
I'm not sure

Have you ever thanked another editor for their edit, using the "Thanks" feature? (Only for those who knew of the thanks feature.)

No, I've never thanked another editor
Yes, I've thanked another editor
I'm not sure

Can you tell us some reasons you haven't used the Thanks feature before? (Only for those who have not thanked someone.)

I haven't seen any edits I've wanted to thank someone for
I couldn't find the tool to send thanks
It felt odd or intimidating to send thanks for someone else's edit
I didn't know what would happen if I sent thanks
I didn't know what "Publicly send thanks?" meant and decided not to send it
I prefer to thank other editors directly on their Talk page or in other spaces
Other:

Earlier in the survey, you noted you've received messages from other editors on your Talk page. Do you remember what kind of message or messages you've received? (Only for those who have received Talk page messages.)

A message welcoming me to Wikipedia
A message warning me that my edit has been reverted
A message warning me about my editing (and potentially telling me I could be blocked)
A message with instructions on how to make a specific edit
A response to a message or question I asked somewhere else
A message thanking me for my edit or other contributions
A "wikilove" message (these usually have an image with them, like a baklava or a puppy)
A message asking for my advice or to collaborate on an article
Other:

Sometimes edits are reverted by an automated bot or another editor. Do you know if you've ever had an edit reverted?

I didn't know edits could be reverted
I knew edits could be reverted, but I'm not sure if mine have ever been reverted
No, I've never had an edit reverted
Yes, I've had an edit automatically reverted by a bot
Yes, I've had an edit reverted by another editor

When your edit was reverted by another editor, at the time, did you know if they left any messages about why they reverted your edit? (Only for those who were reverted by another editor.)

I'm not sure
No, they didn't leave a message
Yes, in the edit summary
Yes, on my Talk page
Other:

In a few words, can you describe how being reverted felt? (Only for those who were reverted by another editor or bot.) - Open text

Have you ever reverted another editor's edit? (Only for those who knew of reversion.)

I'm not sure
No
Yes, once or twice
Yes, more than once or twice but it's not something I do regularly
Yes, it's something I do regularly without the help of a tool
Yes, it's something I do regularly with the help of a tool (open):

Future Tools and Advanced Editing

In this section, we'll ask you about tools or activities you might be interested in, in the future. Some of these tools already exist, and other ones we might build. We'd like to know what interests newer editors so we can decide how to prioritize.

If someone showed you how to do this, do you think you'd be interested in this activity?

(4-point interest scale from "Not at all interested" to "Very interested" with an option for "I already do this")

Finding and reverting vandalism
Checking citations for accuracy
Mentoring new editors
Organizing an editing community or event
Joining an editor meetup to connect with other editors
Helping to make decisions about which articles should be deleted
Helping to make decisions about which articles should be created
Helping to improve articles at risk of deletion
Giving other editors feedback on articles they’re writing
Giving other editors feedback on recent edits they've made

Do you think any of these features would be helpful for your editing?

(4-point helpfulness scale, from "Not at all helpful" to "Very helpful")

Providing me with a set of potential editing goals I could work towards and steps to achieve them
A way to collaborate with other editors to work on goals as a group
A way to edit an article at the same time as other people (like a Google doc or Etherpad)
"Unlocked achievements" that tell me when I make a new type of edit or reach a milestone
A simple visual chart of types of edits that can be made, so I can learn about and track if I've made them
Short instructional videos to help me learn about different types of edits
Helping me find editing communities and groups that I can join
Helping me find editing competitions or events that I can join
Helping me find editing trainings or workshops that I can join
Suggesting articles about topics local to me, for example about my country, region, or city
Suggesting articles about topics I usually edit about
Helping me provide positive feedback and recognition to other editors

Overall editing experiences

Here we'll ask you about your general experiences since you've started editing Wikipedia

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about editing?

(5-point agreement scale)

Editing has felt lonely
Editing has felt rewarding
The editing rules and policies are easy to understand
I feel like other editors value my contributions
I learn new things from editing
Other editors have been helpful
I plan to continue editing in the next year
I want to grow and improve as an editor, but I don’t know how

Demographics

You're almost done!

In this final section, we'll ask you a few demographic questions. These types of survey questions help us to understand who contributes to Wikipedia and whether groups experience editing differently.

Please remember that you can skip any questions that you do not wish to answer. By answering these questions, you consent to us processing this data for the purpose of conducting this survey and analyzing the results.

What is your age?

18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65-74
75-84
85+
I prefer not to say

Which of these words describe your gender identity? Select all that apply.

Man
Woman
Transgender
Non-binary
Agender
I prefer not to say
An identity not listed here:

Are you currently enrolled as a student in school (for example, high school, vocational or trade school, a college or university)?

Yes
No
I prefer not to say

What type of school or program are you enrolled in? (Only for those currently in school.)

A secondary school or high school
A post-secondary technical or vocational school
An undergraduate college or university
A Master's degree or equivalent program
A Doctoral degree or equivalent program
I prefer not to say
Other:

What is the highest level of formal education you have completed? (Only for those not currently in school.)

I have no formal schooling
Some primary or elementary school
Primary or elementary school
Lower secondary or middle school
Upper secondary or high school
A post-secondary technical or vocational degree or certificate
A post-secondary or university degree
Master's degree or equivalent
Doctoral degree or equivalent
I prefer not to say

Would you describe English as your first or native language, or language you're most fluent in?

Yes
No
I prefer not to say
I'd describe it differently:

The end!

Do you have any final comments, suggestions, or thoughts for us about this survey or the topics we covered in it? Open text.