science

WikiFactor

WikiFactor is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand WikiFactor rather than just read about it. In short: A wikiFactor is a measure of the 'popularity' of a wiki website. It is based on the Hirsch h-index which is commonly used to measure the impact a scientist has had in the literature.

Key takeaways

WikiFactor belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect WikiFactor to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of WikiFactor from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A wikiFactor is a measure of the 'popularity' of a wiki website. It is based on the Hirsch h-index which is commonly used to measure the impact a scientist has had in the literature. The wikiFactor is simply the number of pages in the wiki (wF) that have had more than 1000 multiplied by wF visits. For example a wikiFactor (wF) of, say, 20 – means that page number 20 in the ranking of pages visited has received 20,000 or more visits, whereas page 21 has not yet reached 21,000 visits.

The WikiIndex site uses the wikiFactor as one of the measures for classifying the importance of a Wiki.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with WikiFactor

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what WikiFactor claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to WikiFactor before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about WikiFactor ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of WikiFactor

In research: WikiFactor appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses WikiFactor in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: WikiFactor is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Audience measurement, Wikis, World Wide Web stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for WikiFactor outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study WikiFactor in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what WikiFactor means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain WikiFactor out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is WikiFactor in simple terms?

A wikiFactor is a measure of the 'popularity' of a wiki website. It is based on the Hirsch h-index which is commonly used to measure the impact a scientist has had in the literature.

Why does WikiFactor matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study WikiFactor?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on WikiFactor.