Impact investing aims to generate social and environmental impact alongside financial returns. However, quantifying the actual impact achieved by impact investments has been a challenge. By analyzing data from Wikipedia, the world’s largest online encyclopedia, this article explores methodologies and metrics to measure the impact of impact investing projects and funds.
Searching Wikipedia data reveals trends and metrics related to impact investing topics
The full text of Wikipedia can be analyzed to gain insights into trending topics and concepts related to impact investing. Statistical analysis of mentions, pageviews and editing activity around relevant keywords like “impact investing” and “social impact fund” over time can reveal growth trends and identify particularly impactful funds or deals. Network analysis of Wikipedia links can map connections between impact investors, investees, sectors and geographies.
Crowdsourced Wikipedia data allows assessment of perceived significance
As a crowdsourced platform, Wikipedia reflects the combined knowledge and interests of millions of editors and readers. The level of attention and editing activity devoted to any given topic indicates how important it is perceived to be by the community. Analyzing the depth of Wikipedia coverage around specific impact funds and deals compared to mainstream investments allows an assessment of their relative significance and awareness.
Examining the influence of Wikipedia content related to impact investing
Beyond intrinsic metrics like pageviews and edits, the influence of Wikipedia content can be measured by examining how widely it is cited and referenced across other media, websites and academic literature. High citation rates for Wikipedia content about impact investing signal wider awareness and knowledge sharing around this theme.
In summary, Wikipedia provides a unique, collective dataset to derive both qualitative and quantitative indicators around the evolution and outcomes of impact investing. Combining computational analysis of Wikipedia’s contents and community attention patterns allows measurement of the exposure, significance and influence of specific funds, deals and concepts within this rapidly growing space.