Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/University of New Hampshire/Biotechnology and Society (Fall 2016)

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 - Creating your account & introductory training

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

Tuesday, 27 September 2016 | Thursday, 29 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. Please select a topic from our syllabus to critique. Topics can include Crispr, GMOs, Cloning, etc.

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- Is any information out of date?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 in your sandbox and on the article's Talk page. Be sure to sign your feedback with four tildes — Jami (Wiki Ed) (talk) 21:07, 18 January 2017 (UTC). [reply]

In class - Discussion: What's a content gap?

Now that you're thinking about what makes a "good" Wikipedia article, consider some additional questions.

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 3

Course meetings

Tuesday, 4 October 2016 | Thursday, 6 October 2016

Assignment - Research possible topics

Review page 6 of your Editing Wikipedia guidebook.
Individually, take a look at the list of Biotechnology stubs on Wikipedia. Select one or two that you would like to update as part of the Wikipedia project and be prepared to make a case for your selection in class next week. Add your selection to the list of "AVAILABLE ARTICLES" in the Articles tab above.
Tip: We can improve existing articles, like the one on Functional Cloning, or create a new article where one might not exist. What topics might be missing from the list of Biotechnology articles on Wikipedia generally?

Assignment - Medical topics training

Review Wikipedia's rules for topics related to medicine, human health, and psychology.

Week 4

Course meetings

Tuesday, 11 October 2016 | Thursday, 13 October 2016

In class - Choose your topic / Find your sources

It's time to choose an article/group and assign it to yourself.

In Class

In class, we will try to finalize the list of available articles that we curated. What 4-5 do we want to work on to update this semester?
We will be working in groups to improve these articles. By the end of class you should have your group and topic selected.
When you finalize your topic, visit the Students tab above, and assign yourself your article.
Make sure you select a group member who's sandbox space you will work to draft your article in.

As homework

In your sandbox, write a few sentences about what you plan to contribute to the selected article.
- Make a note in your sandbox about who is in your group and include a link to the sandbox where you as drafting your work.
- Think back to the skills you learned when you did the article critique. What can you add to your topic? 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 5

Course meetings

Tuesday, 18 October 2016 | Thursday, 20 October 2016

Assignment - Draft your article

As a group, you've picked a topic and found your sources. Now it's time to start writing.

Creating a new article?

Write an outline of your 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.
- Then, as a group, review each other's leads and see what kinds of changes you're in agreement on for the article. Do you all want to define the topic the same? Or were there differing opinions? Make sure to track the ideas you're in agreement on so that they can be used to build your final article.

Improving an existing article?

Identify what's missing from the current form of the article. Think back to the skills you learned while critiquing an article. Make notes for improvement in your sandbox.
Then, as a group, review each other's notes and see what kinds of changes you're in agreement on for the article. Do you all want to define the topic the same? Or were there differing opinions? Make sure to track the ideas you're in agreement on so that they can be used to build your final article.

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

Tuesday, 25 October 2016 | Thursday, 27 October 2016

Assignment - Expand your draft

As a group, keep working on transforming your article into a complete first draft. Get draft ready for peer-review.
Make sure you have your new draft all in one place - your selected group sandbox space.
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

Tuesday, 1 November 2016 | Thursday, 3 November 2016

Assignment - Peer review and copy edit

First, take the "Peer Review" online training.
Select another group's article that you will peer review and copyedit. On the Articles tab, find the article that you want to review, and then assign it to yourself in the Review column. Each member of your group can review ANY other article in the course. You do not all need to select the same article to peer review.
Individually, peer review your classmate's draft. Leave suggestions on the Talk page of the article, or sandbox, that your fellow student is working on. Other editors may be reviewing your work, so look for their comments! Be sure to acknowledge feedback from other Wikipedians.
As you review, make spelling, grammar, and other adjustments. Pay attention to the tone of the article. Is it encyclopedic?

Milestones

Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.

Week 8

Course meetings

Tuesday, 8 November 2016 | Thursday, 10 November 2016

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.
As a group, 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.

Week 9

Course meetings

Tuesday, 15 November 2016 | Thursday, 17 November 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."

Editing an existing article?

NEVER copy and paste your draft of an article over the entire article. Instead, edit small sections at a time.
Copy your edits into the article. Make many small edits, saving each time, and leaving an edit summary. Never replace more than one to two sentences without saving!

Creating a new article?

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 10

Course meetings

Tuesday, 22 November 2016

Assignment - Continue improving your article

As a group, 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.
Remember to contact your Content Expert at any time if you need further help!

Week 11

Course meetings

Tuesday, 29 November 2016 | Thursday, 1 December 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.