Wikipedia project

According to Wikipedia, Wikipedia is a free-content online encyclopedia written and maintained by a community of volunteers, collectively known as Wikipedians, through open collaboration and using a wiki-based editing system called MediaWiki. In other words, it is a communal encyclopedia project that, in principle, anyone can contribute to. However, there are rules. Wikipedia is built on robust principles of citing and scientific integrity, which means that, for the most part, all the articles on the site should be trustworthy, pending proper citation.

Not all Wikipedia articles are the same; some offer detailed overviews and feature more references than others. However, Wikipedia remains an incredible resource of knowledge on more or less all topics. Especially in terms of general knowledge, we can rely on Wikipedia heavily, but it has to be noted that many articles also contain very detailed and precise information, which makes it useful even for experts in a field (mainly as a quick reference).

Because it is a communal project, it contains only as much information as Wikipedians are willing to provide it. Becoming a Wikipedian is useful - it allows us to help the world learn about topics close to us while practicing our writing and editing skills.

Creating a Wikipedia article takes time and effort. It requires two skill sets:

• knowing how to edit a Wikipedia article
• knowing how to write a nonfiction article.

Knowing how to edit a Wikipedia article is a skill in itself. There exist two main approaches. The wiki markup source editor is a code editor, where the article is displayed (and edited) in a “raw” form. VisualEditor works similarly to Word or Google Docs and displays the text as it is going to look like. Using VisualEditor is potentially a bit slower, but it is, on the other hand, much easier for students and should be used.

You can access the landing page which guides you to the sandbox where you can play around.

There is an option to edit the communal sandbox, which does not require an account, but you and your students should all create your own accounts either way. The VisualEditor is very intuitive and simple. You can learn about all of its functions here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:VisualEditor.

You should let your students practice and play around. Note that you will probably start with simple articles, which means you probably do not need your students to master complex graphics or similar. They should, however, understand how to cite, link, and insert images.

The most important criteria for a good article entry are:

• notability (your article must be about something important enough, which is decided by having different reputable sources write about it);
• originality (your article must not already exist);
• objectivity (your article must be an objective and neutral account of whatever it is you are writing about)
• academic integrity (you must cite your sources and only rely on legitimate sources).

In terms of writing a good article, you should read the Wikipedia’s own guide here.

In short, the guide directs you to mind the following:

1. Ensure that your article's topic has been covered in reliable, independent sources. These sources can include books, newspapers, magazines, and peer-reviewed scholarly journals.
2. All information on Wikipedia should be verifiable through citations from reliable sources. If no third-party sources are available for a topic, it may not warrant a separate article.
3. Articles should adhere to Wikipedia's policies, such as maintaining a neutral point of view, covering notable topics, and being supported by reliable sources.
4. Use the Article Wizard to create an article through the Articles for Creation process. This ensures your article is reviewed and considered for publication.
5. Do not create articles in which you have a conflict of interest, such as being closely connected to the subject. Wikipedia's policies strictly discourage this.
6. Draft your article and gather reliable sources before publishing. When ready, submit it for review by an experienced editor.
7. Wikipedia articles are never finished. Keep improving your article, maintaining a neutral tone, and avoiding content ownership.
8. Ensure your article is not an orphan by linking it to related articles and adding it to appropriate categories.
9. If your article's title is ambiguous, consider adding it to a disambiguation page.
10. Utilize Wikipedia's help resources, including the Teahouse and Help Desk, and read existing high-quality articles to understand Wikipedia's style and structure.

An example of a well-rounded Wiki article covering all the bases is the Wiki article on one Mr. Hegel.

You should limit your students to a topic that:

• you are closely familiar with;
• is not on Wikipedia yet (this is far easier in languages other than English and in terms of topics that are far more local), or for which there is very little information available on Wikipedia;
• they can realistically access information on.

Getting to know Wikipedia - 30 minutes

For this exercise, you have a very basic task for your students:

• If students don't have Wikipedia accounts, guide them through the account creation process.
• Show them how to create article drafts in Wikipedia's sandbox environment

The students should play around with different features and explore the environment.

The teacher explains the basics of writing a nonfiction article.

Article writing - 30 + 45 minutes

• Divide the students into smaller groups or let them choose their groups.
• Provide a list of topics related to their curriculum or encourage students to propose topics of interest. Each group should select a topic or be assigned one. Sample topics you can have them work on:
• famous people from your field from your region/country that do not yet have a Wikipedia page (i.e., if you teach philosophy, notable philosophers from your area);
• local landmarks/areas/museums;
• recent local events.
• Instruct students to conduct thorough research on their chosen topics. Encourage them to find reliable, independent sources, such as books, articles, and reputable websites.
• Ensure they understand the importance of proper citations and provide guidance on citing sources.

During this time, students can work in their groups and use your guidance for research assistance. Within the first 30 minutes, the groups should narrow their article topic and have a good idea about the article structure they want to write.

The groups should work on their articles for the remainder of the exercise, consulting Wikipedia’s writing and referencing guidelines.

1. Do you think Wikipedia is a reliable source of information?
2. Would you trust all Wikipedia articles the same?
3. What did you find the most challenging about writing a Wiki article?
4. Do you think you will continue contributing to Wikipedia?