A November to remember
We hear time and again that people understand the importance of having well referenced information on Wikipedia. But most simply don’t know how to do something about it. “I did this at an edit-a-thon recently,” one conference attendee said, “and I loved it! How can I do more?” In November, I traveled to three academic … Continued
Understanding masculinity from a sociological perspective
November 25th was International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women this year. Part of moving towards a more equitable and safe future for all humans is to increase awareness of and reduce stigma around the violence faced by women around the world. That includes understanding how violence pervades cultures in subtle, as well as obvious … Continued
How to counterbalance the inequalities women encounter in STEM
Youngah (Karen) Kwon is a graduate student at Columbia University and a member of the American Chemical Society who recently completed our Wikipedia professional development course. With a background in physical chemistry and material science, Karen expanded Wikipedia articles on women who have made major contributions to the sciences. Read her reflections about the experience below. … 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
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
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
Chemist takes it upon herself to write biographies of women scientists on Wikipedia
Dr. Claire Jarvis is a Postdoctoral Scientist at Emory University with a PhD in organic chemistry. She recently participated in our professional development course that trains scholars, scientists, and other professionals how to edit Wikipedia. Here, she shares thoughts about her experience. The oversight was egregious. I checked again in case a simple spelling error … Continued
Ensuring Wikipedia represents the accomplishments of women scientists
In 2012, Dr. Jennifer Doudna helped make one of the most remarkable breakthroughs in biology — the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system, which changed editing genomes from science fiction to science. Before Dr. Laura Hoopes started working to improve it as part of Wiki Education’s professional development program, Dr. Doudna’s Wikipedia biography looked pretty substantial. With over 1400 … Continued
Celebrating Ada Lovelace Day on Wikipedia
Today is Ada Lovelace Day, a day that stresses the importance of acknowledging, documenting, and celebrating the achievements of women in STEM. Women have made valuable contributions to science and mathematics throughout the ages, but aren’t remembered in history as often or as accurately as their male colleagues. Ada Lovelace, for example, did not receive the recognition … Continued