INTRODUCTION TO WIKIPEDIA�

By Ibekeme Merit Kosisochukwu

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What do you know wikipedia to be?

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What do you know wikipedia to be?

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• Emmanuella Goes to School
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qDH4bPvfMw

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Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia, created and maintained as an open collaborative project.

�Wiki comes from Hawaian word meaning “Quick” and pedia meaning “encyclopedia”

WIKIMEDIA

• Wikimedia is Global movement whose mission is to bring
• free educational content to the world.
• This is supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation through various projects.
• Wikipedia is the best-known of the Wikimedia wikis. But
• not all Wikis are Wikimedia.

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Wikimedia Projects

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Wikipedia is a multilingual web-based free-content encyclopaedia.��As of October 2024, Wikipedia articles have been created in 352 editions, with 339 currently active and 13 closed��One of the top five most heavily used websites in the world.

CORE POLICIES ABOUT CONTENT: VERIFIABLE

• All article content has to be VERIFIABLE.
• A RELIABLE source must be able to support the material
• All quotations must include an inline citation to a source that directly supports the material
• Must be a RELIABLE, PUBLISHED secondary source (or to a lesser extent tertiary or primary sources)
• Readers must be able to check that any of the information within Wikipedia articles is not just made up. This means all material must be attributable to reliable, published sources. Additionally, quotations and any material challenged or likely to be challenged must be supported by inline citations

CORE POLICIES ABOUT CONTENT: � NO ORIGINAL RESEARCH�

• Articles must NOT CONTAIN ORIGINAL RESEARCH.

“original research” (facts, allegations, and ideas) for which no reliable published sources exist.

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• Wikipedia does not publish original thought. All material in Wikipedia must be attributable to a reliable, published source. Articles may not contain any new analysis or synthesis of published material that serves to reach or imply a conclusion not clearly stated by the sources themselves.

CORE POLICIES ABOUT CONTENT: �NEUTRAL POINT OF VIEW�

• All articles must be written from a NEUTRAL POINT OF VIEW.

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Means representing fairly, proportionately and as far as possible without editorial bias, all the significant views published by reliable sources on a topic

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That is to say: Articles must not take sides, but should explain the sides, fairly and without editorial bias. This applies to both what you say and how you say it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view

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ARTICLES MUST ALSO COMPLY WITH COPYRIGHT

WHAT ARE COVERED IN WIKIPEDIA: �NOTABILITY�

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• Wikipedia articles cover notable topics—those that have gained sufficiently significant attention by the world at large and over a period of time.
• The notability guideline does not determine the content of articles, but only whether the topic should have its own article.

Note: If no reliable independent sources can be found on a topic, Wikipedia should not have an article on it.

Fundamental Pillars of Wikipedia

There are five pillars of Wikipedia:

Pillars of Wikipedia

Ibekeme Merit Kosisochukwu

This means Wikipedia:

• Combines many features of general and specialized encyclopedias, almanacs and gazettes.

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Is not:

• An advertising platform
• An indiscriminate collection of information
• A web directory
• A dictionary, newspaper nor a collection of source documents (although some Wikimedia projects are)

#1

Wikipedia is a free encyclopaedia

This means:

• Avoid advocacy (by characterizing information issues rather than debating them).
• Describe multiple points of view, presenting each accurately in context rather than as “the truth” or “the best view”.
• All articles must strive for verifiable accuracy, reliable citing, and authoritative sources, especially when the topic is controversial or is about a person.
• Editor’s personal experiences or opinions matter less on Wikipedia.

Wikipedia is written from a neutral viewpoint

#2

This means:

• No editor owns an article since all editors license their work to the public.
• Copyright laws should be respected without plagiarizing from any sources.
• All editors are to always strive to find alternatives first, even though borrowing non-free media is sometimes allowed as fair use
• Editor’s personal experiences or opinions matter less on Wikipedia.

Wikipedia is free content that anyone can use, edit, and distribute

#3

This means:

• All editors own other Wikipedians respect, even when disagreements abound.
• Wikipedia etiquette are to be applied without engaging in personal attacks.
• Being open and welcoming to newcomers
• Discussing conflicts calmly on the talk pages, following dispute resolution procedures, and considering there are 6,659,324 other articles on the English Wikipedia to improve and discuss.

Wikipedia’s editors should treat each other with respect and civility

#4

This means:

• Irrespective of Wikipedia’s policies and guidelines, their content and interpretation can evolve over time.
• Wikipedia principles and spirit matter more than literal wording, and improving the it sometimes entails making exceptions.
• Being bold, but not reckless in updating articles.
• Worrying less over making mistakes that can easily be corrected, since every past version of each article is saved.

Wikipedia no firm rules

#5

What would the community become?

What would happen to the projects?

Imagine if editors focused on four or less than four of the pillars

#1

• It would probably become more of a social media outlet, news source, or even a free hosting server.
• That would not be good for Wikipedia

What would happen if we stopped having Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia?

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#2

• The articles would start to contain opinions, or be used as a political tool.
• This would inhibit Wikipedia from becoming better

What would become of Wikipedia if editors stopped writing from a neutral point of view?

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#3

• That would reduce global enthusiasm, thereby weaken Wikipedia

What would become of Wikipedia if we no longer create free content?

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#4

• We would content with the risk of driving away volunteers on the community.

If we stopped treating each other with respect and civility, how would that affect Wikipedia?

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#5

• We would become machines rather than a collaborative process (as seen in German Wikipedia).
• That too will not make Wikipedia better.

If firm rules were created and stuck with, how would that affect Wikipedia?

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Going by all these questions, you will notice that none of the pillars are mutually exclusive.

We need them all if we are to achieve the objective for which the community was started.

Common misconceptions��Anyone can add their opinion to wikipedia�Wikipedia articles are unreliable and unverifiable

Anatomy of wikipedia��practical