Like a Box of Chocolates: A Case Study of User-Contributed Content at Footnote
Pamela Mayer · The American Archivist · 2013
User-contributed content has been suggested as a means of narrowing the gap between the level of description that resource-constrained repositories are able to provide and the level that users need or have come to expect. An examination of the experience of entities with large-scale online collections of cultural heritage materials that allow users to contribute content can provide valuable insight to other institutions that are considering doing so. This case study examines 183 users and 1,495 instances of user-contributed content at Footnote. The study identifies individuals with family connections as the largest group of contributors while annotations are the most common type of contribution. The data suggests that users' are predominately interested in information about individuals. Additionally, the study reveals the existence of users who contribute a disproportionate number of annotations. The findings of the study also indicate issues of consistency, authenticity, and context with regard to user-contributed content.