Improve women’s suffrage articles on Wikipedia for a new National Archives exhibit
Citizens of a well functioning democracy should have an understanding of voting rights. In the United States, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was passed in 1920 to give women the right to vote. To our young people today, it can be shocking to learn that just within the last century, more than half of … Continued
How humanities scholars and social scientists can make a difference for public knowledge
“I see my contributions to Wikipedia as a form of academic activism,” says Dr. Jenn Brandt about her recent experience in our professional development course. “At a time when the academy, institutions, and the very nature of ‘fact’ are being challenged more than ever, knowledge, in itself, may not be enough. Rather, it’s what we do with … Continued
Classroom Program renamed to Wikipedia Student Program
Our Classroom Program — where higher education instructors use our support and help resources to teach their students to add course content to relevant Wikipedia articles — has thrived and grown over the past eight years. During that time, we’ve listened to and learned from our participants, adapting our support and tools to better fit their needs. … Continued
Group of interdisciplinary scholars to learn how to edit Wikipedia
“I have come to realize that the pursuit of knowledge can be undertaken by an individual, but it can only be advanced in partnership with others,” says Dr. Rebecca Dew, a recent participant in our professional development course. Dr. Dew learned how to edit Wikipedia’s content related to mid-term election topics. The opportunity to collaborate with … Continued
Wikipedia as a tool for public engagement with science
Helen Siaw is a PhD candidate and research assistant at Emory University Department of Chemistry. She is interested in using Wikipedia as a tool for science education and public outreach. She creates and updates Wikipedia articles related to current biophysical chemistry or general chemistry research. Helen recently completed Wiki Education’s professional development course as a member … Continued
Monthly Report, September 2018
Highlights This month, Emory University Libraries hosted an all-day Wikipedia workshop to inform faculty and professors about how to improve Wikipedia within higher education. Educational Partnerships Manager Jami Mathewson presented to faculty about Wikipedia, why they should work to improve Wikipedia, and how students and faculty can improve Wikipedia’s quality and equity. She was joined … Continued
How to improve Wikipedia’s coverage of women and marginalized American communities
Wikipedia, like much of history and historical scholarship, is missing information related to women and marginalized American communities. This weekend, Wiki Education is attending both the National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) and the American Studies Association (ASA) annual meetings in Atlanta to empower scholars to help us fill these content gaps. NWSA and ASA share missions to disseminate research … Continued
Scientists to write Wikipedia biographies of women in STEM
Only about 17% of biographies on Wikipedia are about women. That number is slowly changing thanks to WikiProject groups like Women in Red and Women scientists. Now, scholars who take our professional development courses are also helping close that gap. New courses that train scholars with the skills to make a difference on Wikipedia begin this month. One … Continued
Learning Wikipedia editing: how scientists can communicate with the public
“I am a firm believer that the role of academics is to make their knowledge accessible to the public. I cherish the opportunity to research, write, and share knowledge and information that would benefit as many people as possible.” So wrote a participant in our Communicating Science course, where scientists, professionals, and other academics learn … Continued
Scholars leverage the National Archives on Wikipedia in professional development course
Representing the history of voting rights on the world’s most-accessed source of information is a noble pursuit. And this group of scholars, professionals, and citizen archivists are up to the task. Using source materials from the National Archives, they will improve Wikipedia articles about the history of women’s voting rights in the United States in … Continued