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Wikipedia Editing

An introductory workshop to get you started editing wikipedia

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What is Wikipedia?

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Five Pillars of Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Five_pillars

  1. An encyclopedia
  2. Written from a neutral point of view
  3. Free content that anyone can use, edit, and distribute
  4. Editors are respectful and civil.
  5. No firm rules, just policies and guidelines

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https://slate.com/technology/2020/06/wikipedia-george-floyd-neutrality.html

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“There is an idea that we are ‘neutral.’ We are not. The simple idea of ‘free knowledge’ is, in and of itself, the most radically progressive idea that has ever existed in the minds of humankind.”

https://slate.com/technology/2020/06/wikipedia-george-floyd-neutrality.html

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/08/us/wikipedia-harassment-wikimedia-foundation.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes

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Why edit Wikipedia

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Editing: Basics

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Anatomy of a Wikipedia page

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Anonymous Edits

You can edit some article anonymously, but you will have limited editing abilities and your IP address will be recorded (which can reveal information about you).

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Protected Pages

Wikipedia pages can be protected from editing due to persistent inaccurate edits or what Wikipedia refers to as “vandalism.”

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Editing: Creating a Profile

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How to create your account

  1. Go to https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Main+Page
  2. Select a username.
    1. Your username should not be your real name.
    2. Usernames are case-sensitive.
    3. You cannot delete your account nor can you combine accounts, so choose wisely!
  3. Create your unique password.
    • While you do not need to provide your email address, if you do you will be able to use password recovery.
  4. Once your account is set up, make sure to create your profile.
  5. Add yourself to the Art+Feminism dashboard: https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Cornell_University/Art_and_Feminism_Cornell_University_2023_(March-April)?enroll=gorges

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How do I navigate the Wikipedia menubar?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

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Editing: Modes

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Editing Ediquette

Follow these tips to create edits that stick.

  • Cite your sources
    • Use “reliable sources”
  • Avoid conflicts of interest
  • No original research
  • Remember this is a tertiary source
    • Avoid essay-like, argumentative, or opinionated writing style
  • Practice editing in the Sandbox.

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Editing: Summaries

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The edit summary is a quick line or two about what you changed. �

It helps moderators ensure that edits are improving the quality of the entry.

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Editing in the Sandbox

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Easy things to add to pages

When you are just getting started, it can be helpful to start with some basic edits.

  • External links
  • Categories
  • Authority control
  • Images
  • Fix Grammar

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Practice

Let’s try making some edits together

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When can I create an article?

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Wikidata

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Linked Data can make web pages more discoverable

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Thank you

For more help, please see: https://guides.library.cornell.edu/artandfeminism/resources