Here are a few tips from my own personal experiences. Wikipedia is a live collaboration differing from paper-based reference sources in important ways. red links) to turn blue by creating pages. Brainstorm how you will make your event engaging and interactive. Before editing or creating a Wikipedia page, take care to ensure that there is no conflict of interest present. Most other types of pages on Wikipedia also have associated talk pages, including the User page each editor is assigned once they sign up. The reference is a footnote, appearing as an inline link (e.g. You’ll want to cite sources where there’s some form of editorial control i.e. To create this article, 28 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. How to edit: Wikicode vs Visual Editor An introduction to editing Wikipedia. Introduction and Guide 1: Getting Started! Before creating an article, please search Wikipedia first to make sure that an article does not already exist on the subject, and please also review the article titling policy for guidance on what to name the article. Be sure to space out teaching and editing sessions, and provide food and beverages! ), but in some cases, your draft may be rejected with specific comments to address. “Marie Curie”) to find relevant articles. You should strive to provide a balanced coverage, and take care to cite reliable sources for your contributions. Once submitted, an experienced Wikipedian will review your draft, and ensure it meets notability, referencing and formatting standards. If you're satisfied with what you see, be bold and press the "Publish changes" button. When someone has left you a message that way, you will see a notice the next time you log in or view a page on Wikipedia. Inline citations are most commonly placed by inserting a reference between ... tags, directly in the text of an article. There are a number of tools available to help with citation placement and formatting, some of which are internal tools and scripts while others are available from external sites. There are two editing interfaces: the new VisualEditor (VE) and classic wiki markup editing (wikitext). Perhaps you want to assign event attendees into pairs/groups, or create small hubs dedicated to different disciplines or themes? You’ll want to avoid sources such as personal blogs or lab websites, and even unreliable media outlets, such as The Daily Mail. Case 2: If you took a photo or drew a picture, you can upload it to the Wikimedia Commons at commons.wikimedia.org. 1) Wikipedia is an encyclopedia – not a soapbox, news source or advertising platform. Before you create a page, there’s an important question to ask: should this individual have a Wikipedia page? I’ll turn to Google News and search for their name in quotations (e.g. Wikipedia permits editors to use any citation system that allows the reader to understand where the information came from, and strongly encourages use of inline citations to do so. If you have a keen eye for detail, becoming an editor may be for you. In short, editing the Wikipedia page about your own company is discouraged, as Wikipedia wants to ensure its content is unbiased. Common methods of placing inline citations include footnotes, shortened footnotes and parenthetical references. If you’ll recall, I mentioned earlier that Wikipedia is an encyclopedia – not a news source or an advertising platform. Devices only need to have an internet connection and some form of text input in order to be able to edit Wikipedia. [1][2]) to a particular item in a collated, numbered list of footnotes, found wherever a {{Reflist}} template or tag is present, usually in a section titled "References" or "Notes". Individuals belonging to equity-seeking groups are less likely to be nominated for leadership opportunities and awards, or be reported in reliable sources – such as a newspaper article – making it difficult to meet the notability criteria. Generally, sources are added directly after the facts they support at the end of the sentence and after any punctuation. In English Wikipedia, go to the "Tools" section of the toolbar on the left side of the page. Anyone may edit a Wikipedia page, but registering for an account is recommended. A minor edit is a version that the editor believes requires no review and could never be the subject of a dispute. Decide what the focus of your Edit-A-Thon will be. Sure, you can check out other guides (e.g. To create this article, 22 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Therefore, any change that affects the meaning of an article is major (not minor), even if the edit is a single word. Wikipedia is formatted using its own language called Wiki markup, also called Wikitext. Creating a Wikipedia user account is easy – simply choose a username (your real name or a pseudonym – it’s up to you) and add an email if you’re likely to forget passwords (like me). 3) Use a neutral point of view when making contributions to the encyclopedia. Professional Wikipedia Page Creation Services for personal/business Wikipedia Page Writing and Editing. You can read more from Farah here: http://farahqaiser.strikingly.com/. Where can I turn to find more sources? Then there are articles which require a cleanup or expert attention if you are knowledgeable about a field. “You’ll see people on there all day long. There’s no learning curve, and it lets you focus on what you really want to do: edit Wikipedia. You can still edit these pages indirectly by submitting an edit request—an editor with the permission to edit the protected page will respond to it. If you do it your own way, the likelihood of your edits being reedited may be higher. They take about an hour each. I also recommend creating your own Programs & Events dashboard to track edits made during an Edit-A-Thon. The Wikipedia community has developed style guidelines to make articles and facts appear in a standardized form, and Wikipedia easier to use as a whole. Please note that you must first register an account on Wikipedia. Note: The ability to create articles directly in mainspace is restricted to autoconfirmed users, though non-confirmed users and non-registered users can submit a proposed article through the Articles for Creation process, where it will be reviewed and considered for publication. There are three key features I want to highlight: …And that’s it. For example, I’ve created Wikipedia pages for individuals currently at the same educational institution as me, but I won’t create pages for anyone belonging to my graduate department. Today, there is an ongoing global quest to address the abysmal coverage of women and minority scientists on Wikipedia, inspired by the likes of Jess Wade, the Women In Red WikiProject and coordinated Edit-A-Thons across the world. Get help at any time by clicking the link "Help" in the toolbox on the left of any page. (Reuters) ... How (not) to get started on Wikipedia an 18-year-old’s story. As much as I’d like to see a page for every undergraduate professor who inspired me, they may not meet Wikipedia’s notability criteria – and that’s okay. Wikipedia uses two interface methods: classic editing through wiki markup (wikitext), and a new VisualEditor (VE). Unless you submit your draft for review, you’re welcome to expand and revise your draft (for up to six months) until you’re ready to submit it for review. The goal of a Wikipedia article is to create a comprehensive and neutrally written summary of existing mainstream knowledge about a topic. To be clear, you can edit Wikipedia without a user account. When you have finished editing, you should write a short edit summary in the small field below the edit box (pictured below). The great deal that it provides is that Wikipedia (encyclopedia) can be edited or changed by anyone. This can take up to two hours, but this training will carefully walk you through the logistics involved in hosting such an event. The three main kinds of editing include video editing, photo editing, and copyediting. ), to ensure all Edit-A-Thon attendees are comfortable with the idea of citing reliable sources. Step 2: Edit text To get started, click on the "edit this page" tab at the top of the page. abysmal coverage of women and minority scientists, ~17. There’s no need for fancy software or prior knowledge of Wikipedia editing. Edit warring (repeatedly overriding or reimplementing contributions) is highly discouraged. Some pages are protected from editing. These are key ideas that editors need to be familiar with in order to be comfortable with navigating and editing Wikipedia. has the individual won a notable award, or been elected as a member of a prestigious society? You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license. Steven Pruitt has made nearly 3 million edits on Wikipedia and written 35,000 original articles. ‘Vandalism’ on the Wikipedia today refers to the act of editing the project in a malicious manner. It's pretty easy to learn the basics. Once the edit has been completed, the inclusion of an edit summary will assist in documenting the changes. But it’s also important to note that this is where systemic bias comes in. One way to earn respect in the Wikipedia community is to edit the articles which require attention. The VisualEditor option is intended as a user-friendly, "What You See Is What You Get" (WYSIWYG) editing aid allowing one to edit pages without the need to learn wikitext markup. But I do want to draw your attention to the following important components in the picture below: Now that we know the basics, it’s time to start editing! Once you narrow down your focus, I recommend compiling a list of pages to update or create – preferably using an easy-to-access platform, such as Google Spreadsheets – so that Edit-A-Thon attendees will have “tasks” to pick from on the day. A file that is already hosted on Wikipedia or the Wikimedia Commons can be inserted with the basic code [[File:FILENAME|thumb|DESCRIPTION]]. The Basics. Before you start editing Wikipedia, here are a few things you should know. EDITING THE WIKIPEDIA ENTRY ABOUT YOUR COMPANY Published on February 24, 2016 February 24, 2016 • 15 Likes • 0 Comments This page is about how to edit Wikipedia in general. Once I’ve tackled the basics, I’ll search their name again in quotations, but in the regular Google search engine, to see if there are any other sources I’ve missed – perhaps a government website reporting their achievement, a feature in a magazine or academic journal, and so on. This material is currently available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French: Quick Guide for Editors 2020 – English Go to Quick Guide for Editors 2020 – English → You can change the formatting and contents of the page by changing what is written in this box. We want to make sure every person who registers an account is given an idea of what to do and how to do it. Before making a decision regarding editing your own, or your brand’s wiki page, consider the risk of getting called out for editing your own Wikipedia page. If you’re editing without an account, your IP address will be registered alongside your edits. This article has been viewed 25,865 times. The next question you may have is: what pages should you edit? Our Expert Wikipedia Page Creators, Writers and Editors for hire help you to get Custom Wikipedia … Be sure to ask users to enrol in your specific dashboard before starting! It's earned him not only accolades but almost legendary status on the internet. Be sure to save your progress often. It can be a little overwhelming to know where to start, so if you’re looking for general articles, I recommend checking out the Community Portal. There are no necessary terms to which you have to agree when doing major edits, but the preceding recommendations have become best practice. A major edit should be reviewed to confirm that it is consensual to all concerned editors. This will bring you to a new page with a text box containing the editable text of the original page. And that’s it – you’re ready! Pages can be rejected – it happens. To edit a page, look at the top right-hand side of a Wikipedia page. As a new contributor, you may feel a little overwhelmed by the sheer size and scope of this project named Wikipedia. Finding your article In short, the topic of an article must have already been the subject of publication in reliable sources, such as books published by major publishing houses, newspapers, magazines, peer-reviewed scholarly journals and websites that meet the same requirements as reputable print-based sources. Wiki markup quick reference – a one-page quick reference (included in the Welcome to Wikipedia brochure) to help you remember the most frequently used wiki markup codes. It’s happened to me quite a few times. Choosing a Subject, References and Sources and Images. Have they won a prestigious award? Then there must be a newspaper article somewhere reporting it. You can always use the talk pages to ask questions or check to see if your idea will be accepted. It is better to start practicing your edits on an article that nobody really cares about. It is only available to registered logged-in users through an opt-in choice available through personal preferences, see the VisualEditor user guide for more information. You do not need to register to do this, and anyone who has edited is known as a Wikipedian or editor. Wikipedia policies An overview of Wikipedia's main rules. You’ve likely read several Wikipedia pages, so the structure of a Wikipedia page won’t be new to you. Wikipedia can be a confusing place for the inexperienced editor. All editors are encouraged to be bold and strong, but there are several things that a user can do to ensure that major edits are performed smoothly. Read and download our Quick Guide for Editing on Wikipedia, where you’ll learn the basics for making your first successful contributions. Well, this is your canvas now! “Wikipedia actually becomes addicting after a while,” he says. My main recommendation is to complete Wikipedia’s three modules regarding running an Edit-A-Thon. If you ever make a change that gets reverted by another editor, discuss the change on the talk page! Do you want to focus on a specific demographic (such as women, people of color, or people with disabilities? An "edit toolbar" is provided just above the edit box (pictured below), which will allow logged-in users (by selecting the option in personal preferences) to automatically place and format various aspects of wiki code. There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at … Be sure to introduce concepts such as conflict of interest, no plagiarism and notability early on. Please make note of which license will cover your contributions. 5) That being said, there are no rules! For example, if they have a strong track record of publications, I’ll look them up on Google Scholar to report their h-index, number of citations and to create a selected bibliography of their top five cited papers. For an example of the latter, the Wikipedia citation tool for Google Books converts a Google Books address (URL) into a filled-out {{cite book}} template ready to be pasted into an article. The "minor edit" option is one of several options available only to registered users. 1) Wikipedia is an encyclopedia – not a soapbox, news source or advertising platform. Since then, I’ve edited and created multiple pages for individuals belonging to marginalized groups within science – including active scientists and those working in non-traditional careers. Partner with local Wikipedia editors! Personally, I first started editing Wikipedia last summer. You’ll go through a series of prompts (reminding you of notability, conflict of interest and to cite reliable sources), will be asked to type in the individual’s name, and then directed to a blank canvas. (Image: can be substituted for File: with no change in effect; the choice between the two is purely a matter of editorial preference.) As I mentioned earlier, no one mistake will break the online encyclopedia, so be bold, and start editing. Sourcing requirements are significantly stricter in articles on living persons. Edit summary (Briefly describe your changes). Note that you need to register first. In this case, saving your draft does not mean it is published on Wikipedia. Even contributing one edit a day will make a difference in making Wikipedia less sexist and racist, and improve the encyclopedia’s coverage to better reflect the world we live in today. These offer a refresher, or new skills that match the task you’ll do that week. Ideally, all information should be cited and verifiable by reliable sources. The Five Pillars of Wikipedia. At a first glance, the source editor isn’t the most user-friendly interface. Whether you choose to update or create a Wikipedia page, or host a Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon, I highly encourage you to get involved! If you’d like page suggestions, I recommend checking out the WikiProject Women in Red’s redlist index, which is a consistently updated list of names (i.e. Read on to learn more about Wikipedia editing, and how you too can take part in this form of science advocacy from the comfort of your own home (or at an Edit-A-Thon). And most of the times, my re-submissions get approved! Note: Do not sign the edit summary line with your ~~~~ signature, as it does not work there. If you are adding substantial amounts of work, it is also a good idea to publish changes in stages. To submit an edit request, click on the protected page's "View source" tab and then the "Submit an edit request" link at the bottom right. And if you’re feeling more ambitious, well, let’s head on to creating pages then! There, editors can discuss improvements to the content of an article. Beyond editing, I’ve also hosted three Wikipedia Edit-A-Thons across Ontario, Canada, to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills to edit Wikipedia in their own leisure time from the comfort of their own homes. free encyclopedia that anyone can edit—is one of the largest collaborative projects in history Edit box showing the wikitext markup (screenshot from 2012). If you’re planning to host a Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon, I’d like to issue a small warning: this will require time, effort and not just you – but a team of supporters to aid you. stubs), improving lead sections – and if you’re bilingual, translations too. Before engaging in a major edit, a user should consider discussing proposed changes on the article discussion/talk page. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organisation, and many other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate and complete piece of work. Then click "Upload file". I strongly recommend the Visual Editor. Once you’ve selected a suitably notable individual (and double-checked that they don’t have a Wikipedia page already), you can head on to using the Article Creation Wizard to create your draft. An encyclopedic style with a formal tone is important: straightforward, just-the-facts, instead of essay-like, argumentative, or opinionated. During the edit, if doing so over an extended period, the {{In use}} tag can reduce the likelihood of an edit conflict. Experienced Wikipedia editors can provide technical assistance where needed – which can be as simple as helping users create accounts to troubleshooting any issues that may arise. There are various file formats available. Wikipedia does not publish original research. Fortunately, you can easily switch editors (select the pencil tool on the right hand side) to pick Visual Editing instead. All you simply have to do is point your cursor to the paragraph you want to edit…and that’s it! This is a fairly extensive resource, but if you do want to read more, check out Wikipedia’s written guide, and Maryam Zaringhalam’s Science Rising piece on how to host an Edit-A-Thon. Sandboxes, talk pages, and watchlists A guide to the different types of pages on Wikipedia. This can be quick or can take up to four to six weeks, so be patient! Visual Editing tool bar on Wikipedia. This tutorial shows some of the key features when using Wikipedia's built-in visual editor You just need to remember that you can't break Wikipedia and although there are many protocols, perfection is not required, as Wikipedia is a work in progress. See Help:Wiki markup for more information, remember that you can't break Wikipedia, and, although there are many protocols, perfection is not required, as Wikipedia is a work in progress. In this Sister post, I won’t reiterate why you should edit Wikipedia (you should!) Using thumb generates a thumbnail of an image (the most common placement option), which is typically sized differently from the original image. Guide 3: Writing an Entry. These steps will help all to ensure that major edits are well received by the Wikipedia community. Just start typing! Publish changes Show preview Show changes Cancel. It involves a number of HTML tags, a lot of brackets and pipe symbols…and I don’t enjoy using it. How to Learn Editing. Wiki markup editing is chosen by clicking the Edit tab at the top of a Wikipedia page (or on a section-edit link). When I go about expanding or creating Wikipedia pages, I generally start off by looking up the individual’s departmental web page or lab website. Wikipedia's concept of notability applies this basic standard to avoid indiscriminate inclusion of topics. This is a great way to keep track of progress during the Edit-A-Thon – I usually enjoy sharing final statistics at the end to share the impact the Edit-A-Thon attendees have made in the day. ), a scientific field, or perhaps cater it to a specific theme? 4) Wikipedia is only possible due to its volunteer community. Wiki markup is used extensively throughout Wikipedia for such things as hyperlinks, tables and columns, footnotes, inline citation, special characters and so on. Wikipedia is one of the websites which is dedicated to providing the facts and figures of any information shared publically. Tone and Style, Content and Structure, Building an Argument, Precedents and Article Titles. Other, shorter modules may also be assigned as part of your course timeline. This is a consistently updated list of Wikipedia articles that need further improvement, divided into categories such as: fixing spelling and grammar, fixing wikilinks, expanding short articles (a.k.a. This is where Wikipedia’s notability criteria comes in. Not everything belongs on Wikipedia. See Help:Citation tools for many others. These printable PDF documents have instructions related to the basics of Wikipedia. As much as I’d like to see a page for every undergraduate professor who inspired me, they may not meet Wikipedia’s notability criteria – and that’s okay. Submit information which is why I recommend partnering with local libraries your changes will immediately be visible all. Take lightly but this training will carefully walk you through the logistics involved in getting started editing wikipedia such an event up four... Or your content might be deleted in stages or check to see your! By leaving a message on your talk page Building an Argument, and. Notability, referencing and formatting standards to registered users registered Wikipedians with suggestions of how edit... 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