When a Wikipedia research project becomes a thesis

Maria Murad decided to take Heather Sharkey’s course at the University of Pennsylvania because it involved learning how to write a Wikipedia article. “I was already working for my school newspaper, The Daily Pennsylvanian, and I wanted to explore more avenues that allowed me to create short form, accessible content on important topics,” Maria explains. … Continued

Adding women physicists to the Spanish Wikipedia

Sofía Flores Fuentes is a science communicator. She’s been a university professor, a civil servant, and an independent public engagement person. Currently, she’s working as a communicator at the Physics Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Her most recent medium of science communication? Wikipedia. “Wikipedia is a great platform, if not the … Continued

Why the American Physical Society partners with Wiki Education

One of the central components of the American Physical Society (APS)’s mission is to share physics knowledge — and, since 2020, one way the association has done this is through partnering with Wiki Education to host a series of Wiki Scientists courses. In these courses, Wiki Education staff teach APS members — physicists — how … Continued

Countering vaccine misinformation via Wikipedia

In the middle of a global pandemic, the public turned to Wikipedia for information about vaccines. Pageviews on articles related to vaccines spiked as people sought neutral, fact-based information from a source they trusted — Wikipedia — amidst a sea of disinformation on social media. One such article that saw massive pageviews is the one … Continued

Learning about primates — and Wikipedia

Diego Whittembury Escobar hadn’t ever considered writing for Wikipedia before. He had always assumed that it was too complex, or that he wasn’t qualified. But that all changed for Diego when he signed up for a course on Primate Behaviour, Ecology and Conservation taught by Sarah Turner at Concordia University. “I discovered that I am … Continued

Improving Wikipedia’s alcázar article

If you read Wikipedia’s article on an alcázar, a type of Islamic castle or palace in the Iberian peninsula, you’ll get a detailed description of the history of alcázars and a description of their common features. That’s all thanks to two University of San Diego students, who recently improved the article as part of a … Continued

How a Wikipedia assignment led to finding community — and a job

When Sara Sierko started working on the Wikipedia article for Margaret Crang, the University of Alberta student thought she was just sharing a story that had been forgotten by her local community. She did do that — but she also gained skills that gave her a place in that community. Crang didn’t have a Wikipedia … Continued

One woman’s goal to expand Wikipedia’s coverage of graphic artists

Anne Brown has deep experience in design, writing, and editing across a long career in corporate communications as a graphic designer and then communication director. More recently, she’s been intrigued by graphic design history. So when the opportunity popped up to take a Wikipedia editing course sponsored by the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), … Continued

Diversifying Wikipedia’s coverage of graphic artists

Nina Saxon is a film and TV title designer with a prolific career and deep influence on the aesthetic of film branding and title design, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. But until Kristin Callahan created it this year, Wikipedia didn’t have a biography article for her. “Nina Saxon’s biography highlights the achievement of women … Continued