Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/San Francisco State University/Historical Methods GWAR - History 300 Section 3 (Fall 2016)
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- Course name
- Historical Methods GWAR - History 300 Section 3
- Institution
- San Francisco State University
- Instructor
- Catherine Kudlick
- Wikipedia Expert
- Ian (Wiki Ed)
- Subject
- Introduction to Historical Research and Writing
- Course dates
- 2016-08-24 00:00:00 UTC – 2016-12-14 23:59:59 UTC
- Approximate number of student editors
- 20
Timeline
Week 1
- Course meetings
-
- Wednesday, 7 September 2016
- In class - Introduction to the Wikipedia project
Welcome to your Wikipedia project's course timeline. This page will guide you through the Wikipedia project for your course. Be sure to check with your instructor to see if there are other pages you should be following as well.
This page breaks down writing a Wikipedia article into a series of steps, or milestones. These steps include online trainings to help you get started on Wikipedia.
Your course has also been assigned a Wikipedia Content Expert. Check your Talk page for notes from them. You can also reach them through the "Get Help" button on this page.
To get started, please review the following handouts:
- Editing Wikipedia pages 1–5
- Evaluating Wikipedia
- Assignment - Practicing the basics
- Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you.
- It's time to dive into Wikipedia. Below, you'll find the first set of online trainings you'll need to take. New modules will appear on this timeline as you get to new milestones. Be sure to check back and complete them! Incomplete trainings will be reflected in your grade.
- When you finish the trainings, practice by introducing yourself to a classmate on that classmate’s Talk page.
- Milestones
This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.
Week 2
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 12 September 2016 | Wednesday, 14 September 2016
- Assignment - Critique an article
It's time to think critically about Wikipedia articles. You'll evaluate a Wikipedia article, and leave suggestions for improving it on the article's Talk page.
- Complete the "Evaluating Articles and Sources" training (linked below).
- Choose an article, and consider some questions (but don't feel limited to these):
- Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference?
- Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?
- Is the article neutral? Are there any claims, or frames, that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
- Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?
- Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
- Check a few citations. Do the links work? Is there any close paraphrasing or plagiarism in the article?
- Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
- Choose at least 2 questions relevant to the article you're evaluating. Leave your evaluation on the article's Talk page. Be sure to sign your feedback with four tildes — Helaine (Wiki Ed) (talk) 17:03, 2 May 2017 (UTC).
- Assignment - Add to an article
You should add a small contribution to an article related to your class, or add a citation to a claim that doesn't have one.
- Complete the "Sources and Citations" training (linked below).
- Identify what's missing from the current form of the article. Consider the skills you used to critique an article. Make notes for improvement in your sandbox.
- When you make a small claim, clearly state the fact in your own words, and then cite the source where you found the information.
- The Citation Hunt tool can show you some statements that don't have citations. You can use that to find an article to reference.
- First, evaluate whether the statement in question is true! An uncited statement could just be lacking a reference or it could be inaccurate or misleading. Reliable sources on the subject will help you choose whether to add it or correct the statement.
- First, evaluate whether the statement in question is true! An uncited statement could just be lacking a reference or it could be inaccurate or misleading. Reliable sources on the subject will help you choose whether to add it or correct the statement.
- Assignment - Choose your topic / Find your sources
It's time to choose an article and assign it to yourself.
- Review page 6 of your Editing Wikipedia guidebook.
- Find an article from the list of "Available Articles" on the Articles tab on this course page. When you find the one you want to work on, click Select to assign it to yourself.
- In your sandbox, write a few sentences about what you plan to contribute to the selected article.
- Consider your article critique. What can you add? Post some of your ideas to the article's talk page.
- Compile a list of relevant, reliable books, journal articles, or other sources. Post that bibliography to the talk page of the article you'll be working on, and in your sandbox. Make sure to check in on the Talk page to see if anyone has advice on your bibliography.
Week 3
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 19 September 2016 | Wednesday, 21 September 2016
- Assignment - Topics involving human bodies
Review Wikipedia's rules for topics related to medicine, human health, and psychology. (Even if you're not doing a medical topic, check it out as an example of how one of the world's top websites thinks we should deal with medicine!)
- Assignment - Thinking about legal sources
Legal documents are among historians best sources, even for topics that seem to have nothing to do with law and legal topics. Read through this discussion to learn about how Wikipedia approaches these documents: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Identifying_reliable_sources_(law). How might this apply to your article?
- Assignment - Discussion
- Thinking about sources and plagiarism
In your Project Notebook, jot down some responses to the questions below, and to note any follow-up questions or places where you're not clear about something.
- Blog posts and press releases are considered poor sources of reliable information. Why?
- What are some reasons you might not want to use a company's website as the main source of information about that company?
- What is the difference between a copyright violation and plagiarism?
- What are some good techniques to avoid close paraphrasing and plagiarism?
- Assignment - Wikipedia and Zotero
Citation and note-taking program Zotero works very well with Wikipedia. Read this article for information that will follow-up from Kendra's workshop: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources_with_Zotero
Week 4
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 26 September 2016 | Wednesday, 28 September 2016
- Assignment - Models from Wikipedia
Find an article on Wikipedia that might serve as a good model for yours. What elements make it a good model for you and why? Re-take the training "Evaluating Articles and Sources" you did in Week 2 (September 11-17), but this time apply what you're learning to an example you believe will make a good guide. Also consider elements such as structure, use of images, types of resources, and any other elements that might be useful for how you set up your own article. Jot down any observations in your Project Notebook.
- Assignment - Discussion
- What's a content gap?
Now that you're thinking about what makes a "good" Wikipedia article, consider some additional questions and jot down some responses in your Project Notebook:
- Wikipedians often talk about "content gaps." What do you think a content gap is, and what are some possible ways to identify them?
- What are some reasons a content gap might arise? What are some ways to remedy them?
- Does it matter who writes Wikipedia?
- What does it mean to be "unbiased" on Wikipedia? How is that different, or similar, to your own definition of "bias"?
Week 5
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 3 October 2016 | Wednesday, 5 October 2016
- Assignment - Begin drafting your article
You've picked a topic and found your sources. Now it's time to start writing.
- Write an outline of that topic in the form of a standard Wikipedia article's "lead section." Write it in your sandbox.
- A "lead" section is not a traditional introduction. It should summarize, very briefly, what the rest of the article will say in detail. The first paragraph should include important, broad facts about the subject. A good example is Ada Lovelace. See Editing Wikipedia page 9 for more ideas.
Keep reading your sources, too, as you prepare to write the body of the article.
Resources: Editing Wikipedia pages 7–9
- Milestones
Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.
Week 6
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 10 October 2016 | Wednesday, 12 October 2016
- Assignment - Discussion
- Thinking about Wikipedia
In your Project Notebook, jot down responses to these questions and come to class prepared to discuss. (Not so subtle hint: there could maybe be a quiz that covers this and the discussion of neutrality below. Just sayin'....)
- What do you think of Wikipedia's definition of "neutrality"?
- What are the impacts and limits of Wikipedia as a source of information?
- On Wikipedia, all material must be attributable to reliable, published sources. What kinds of sources does this exclude? Can you think of any problems that might create?
- If Wikipedia was written 100 years ago, how might its content (and contributors) be different? What about 100 years from now?
- Assignment - Neutrality vs opinions
Wikipedia calls for neutrality, but what is this? How does it differ from other scholarly writing about history? Read this article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view.
Now look at your article in two ways:
1) ask if it meets the neutrality standards of Wikipedia. Be super confident about this, ready to describe how and why.
2) Based on research you've done for your article, write down two contrasting points of view that might be taken about your topic so that you can explain them to a classmate.
3) Consider whether introducing these two points of view would improve your article and actually help establish its neutrality.
4) now apply items 1-3 above to the articles you have peer reviewed.
- Assignment - Expand your draft
- Keep working on transforming your article into a complete first draft. Get draft ready for peer-review.
- If you'd like a Content Expert to review your draft, now is the time! Click the "Get Help" button in your sandbox to request notes.
Week 7
- Course meetings
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- Monday, 17 October 2016 | Wednesday, 19 October 2016
- Assignment - Peer review and copy edit
- First, take the "Peer Review" online training.
- Professor Kudlick will assign you two articles to review so everyone has at least two readers. But feel free to read articles from other classmates too if you want.
- Peer review your classmates' drafts. Leave suggestions on on the Talk page of the article, or sandbox, that your fellow student is working on. Other editors in Wikipedia land may be reviewing your work, so look for their comments! Be sure to acknowledge feedback from other Wikipedians, including your peers.
- As you review, make spelling, grammar, and other adjustments. Pay attention to the tone of the article. Is it encyclopedic?
- Assignment - Respond to your peer review
You probably have some feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians. It's time to work with that feedback to improve your article!
- Read Editing Wikipedia pages 12 and 14.
- Return to your draft or article and think about the suggestions. Decide which ones to start implementing. Reach out to your instructor or your Content Expert if you have any questions.
- Milestones
Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.
Week 8
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 24 October 2016 | Wednesday, 26 October 2016
- Assignment - Begin moving your work to Wikipedia
Once you've made improvements to your article based on peer review feedback, it's time to move your work to Wikipedia proper - the "mainspace."
- Read Editing Wikipedia page 13, and follow those steps to move your article from your Sandbox to Mainspace.
- You can also review the [[../../../training/students/sandboxes|Sandboxes and Mainspace]] online training.
Week 9
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 31 October 2016 | Wednesday, 2 November 2016
- Assignment - Continue improving your article
Do additional research and writing to make further improvements to your article, based on suggestions and your own critique.
- Read Editing Wikipedia page 12 to see how to create links from your article to others, and from other articles to your own. Try to link to 3–5 articles, and link to your article from 2–3 other articles.
Week 10
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 7 November 2016 | Wednesday, 9 November 2016
- Assignment - Polish your work
Continue to expand and improve your work, and format your article to match Wikipedia's tone and standards. Remember to contact your Content Expert at any time if you need further help!
- Assignment - Prepare for in-class presentation
Begin preparing for a 10-minute in-class presentation about your Wikipedia editing experience. What are the low/high points? What were your biggest discoveries in terms of process and information? Jot down these early reflections in your Project Notebook.
Week 11
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 14 November 2016 | Wednesday, 16 November 2016
- Assignment - Final article
It's the final week to develop your article.
- Read Editing Wikipedia page 15 to review a final check-list before completing your assignment.
- Don't forget that you can ask for help from your Content Expert at any time!
- Milestones
Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.
Week 12
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 21 November 2016
- Thanksgiving Break - no class this week!
Block description…
Week 13
- Course meetings
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- Monday, 28 November 2016 | Wednesday, 30 November 2016
- In class - Following Up
Check in with your article and any others you've been following. Anything new or interesting to report? Anything you learned over Thanksgiving that you want to add? (Keep track so you can include the latest breaking details for your Oral Presentation.)
In fact, take a peek at next week's Wikipedia assignment to get started....
Week 14
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 5 December 2016 | Wednesday, 7 December 2016
- In class - In-class presentation
Present about your Wikipedia editing experience by considering these questions to get you started (you shouldn't just answer them one-by-one):
- What's your main take-away from doing a Wikipedia article this semester in terms of process and content?
- What do you wish you knew now that you didn't know at the beginning of the semester?
- What was your favorite discovery, the one you want everyone to know about?
- How do you plan to use your primary sources in your final, "Beyond Wikipedia" assignment?
Week 15
- Course meetings
-
- Monday, 12 December 2016 | Wednesday, 14 December 2016
- In class - More In-Class Presentations
Almost there....