Why this Wikipedian believes in sharing knowledge freely

Dr. Jackie Koerner is a Visiting Scholar partnered with San Francisco State University’s Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability. The Visiting Scholars program connects experienced Wikipedia editors, like Jackie, with access to academic sources. The partnering university thus expands the reach of their collections, and a Wikipedian is better equipped to continue spreading knowledge. More than a … Continued

Women’s studies scholar improves Wikipedia while her students follow along

Dr. Jenn Brandt is the Director of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program and an Assistant Professor of English at High Point University. As a member of the National Women’s Studies Association, she participated in our Wikipedia Fellows pilot, in which she significantly expanded and reorganized the article about award-winning author Margaret Atwood. The article has since been … Continued

Visiting Scholar Gen. Quon writes about his passion for Wikipedia editing

Paul Thomas is an experienced Wikipedia editor and the University of Pennsylvania’s Visiting Scholar. Through UPenn’s Department of Classical Studies, Paul has access to academic sources to improve Classics topics on Wikipedia. Here, he reflects on what the Visiting Scholars program has meant for his editing work. During my undergraduate years, I spent much of … Continued

An academic disseminates scientific knowledge to the public by improving Wikipedia

Madeline Gottlieb is a fourth year doctoral student in the Graduate Group in Ecology and Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of California, Davis. She participated in our recent Wikipedia Fellows pilot program as a member of the Midwest Political Science Association. Here, she shares what she has taken away from the experience of … Continued

Learning to claim Wikipedia: Feminist pedagogy and praxis

This reflection on teaching with Wikipedia in the classroom as a feminist praxis is co-written by Dr. Ariella Rotramel and Wiki Education’s Cassidy Villeneuve. Dr. Rotramel is the Vandana Shiva Assistant Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies at Connecticut College. She has reflected on her experience in our Classroom Program before, found here. Feminist pedagogy continues … Continued

Three surprising things I learned about Wikipedia

Dr. Bradley Zopf is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Carthage College. He recently participated as a Wikipedia Fellows in our pilot program as a member of the American Sociological Association. In this reflective piece, he discusses three things he’s taken away from the experience. As an Assistant Professor of Sociology, Wikipedia has usually been near the … Continued

A people person becomes a Wikipedian

Dr. Sine Anahita is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She participated in our recent Wikipedia Fellows pilot program as a member of the American Sociological Association. In this post, she reflects on what she has taken away from the experience. You know how some persons are cat people, and some persons are … Continued

How access to academic sources empowers already prolific Wikipedia editors

Gary Greenbaum, also known as User:Wehwalt on Wikipedia, is a Visiting Scholar at George Mason University. Through the Visiting Scholars program, Gary gets access to George Mason University’s academic sources and databases, expanding the reach of those collections and improving his own abilities to create and maintain Wikipedia articles. Here, Gary shares an example of how … Continued

Academics improve Wikipedia: a powerful opportunity for public sociology

Dr. Michael Ramirez is Associate Professor of Sociology at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. He participated in our Wikipedia Fellows pilot this spring as a member of the American Sociological Association, one of the three associations that collaborated with us in this pilot. Here, Dr. Ramirez reflects on the opportunities that Wikipedia presents for public sociology. I have a confession to make. I … Continued