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Wikipedia:University of Edinburgh/Events and Workshops/International Women's Day 2016

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Editathon in progress

About the event edit

In a 2011 survey, the Wikimedia Foundation found that less than 10% of its contributors identify as female while only 15% of the English Wikipedia's biographies are about women. As a result, content is skewed by the lack of female participation.

Worldwide, women continue to contribute to social, economic, cultural and political achievement. And there is much to celebrate today. But progress towards gender parity has slowed in many places.

The campaign theme for IWD 2016 is #PledgeForParity as the World Economic Forum predicted in 2014 that it would take until 2095 to achieve global gender parity. Then one year later in 2015, they estimated that a slowdown in the already glacial pace of progress meant the gender gap wouldn't close entirely until 2133.

To mark International Women's Day on 8th March and to help redress the balance, the University of Edinburgh is holding an editathon to continue celebrating notable females; particularly women in the Arts and Science.

Women in Art
There are a number of notable female artists whose pages on Wikipedia need created or improved. Following the successful editathons held first at Modern One and then very recently at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery to mark the opening of the exhibition Modern Scottish Women, this latest event will carry on where the last left off, creating and improving articles relating to those women featured in the exhibition as part of the Art+Feminism series.

Women in Science
Similarly, following successful editathons on Women in Science and the History of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, participants will be supported to develop articles covering women in science, Scottish women in history, Edinburgh as the birth place of medicine, The Edinburgh Seven, University history, distinguished Edinburgh alumni etc.

Women in Red
The Wikipedia Project 'Women in Red' is hosting a virtual editathon from March 1 to 31, 2016, on Art+Feminism in connection with International Women's Day and in collaboration with WikiWomen's History Month and WikiProject Women artists. Anyone can take part whatever their previous experience. The virtual edit-a-thon allows enthusiasts from around the globe to participate in the work. The 2016 Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thons will take place at various venues all over the world. Last year, over 1,500 participants at more than 75 events participated, resulting in the creation of nearly 400 new pages and significant improvements to 500 articles on Wikipedia. We hope to double those results in 2016 by offering this virtual event so that anyone, anywhere, can participate. The focus areas include: artists, works of art by women, social reformers, activists, and feminists.

For more details on the 'Women in Red' Wikiproject, click [Women in Red]
Other goals of the WiR edit-a-thon include:

  • to encourage inexperienced editors and show them how they can contribute to Wikipedia by creating biographies of some of the world's most prominent women
  • to draw the attention of more experienced editors to the need for concerted action on a specific area
  • to support Wikipedia in combating the systemic bias against the coverage of women and women's works

If there are other notable women that you would like to research then by all means - all we ask is (1) you check if an article already exists on Wikipedia (2) you write a minimum of 250 words for a new article (3) you include a minimum of 3 references from reliable, published sources to back up what is written in your article and (4) you give due consideration to whether the subject is notable/remarkable/significant enough to merit a place on Wikipedia.


We Can Edit

How do I prepare? edit

  • Sign up for the event
  • Create a Wikipedia account
  • You can bring your laptop/tablet if you prefer (wi-fi will be provided) although the room has a number of desktop computers available.
  • Learn about editing if you like: Tutorial, or Getting started on Wikipedia for more information
  • Think about what you would like to edit about - please prepare some materials to bring with you on the day

Sources edit

  • Wikipedia is a tertiary resource, which relies upon secondary sources. Wikipedia is not a place for original research.
  • For more guidance on the use of sources, see this guide here.

Programme edit

  • 1pm – 1:15pm: The event starts with getting settled in Room 1.12 - 1st floor, Main Library.
  • 1:15 pm – 2:15 pm: Wikipedia Editing training
  • 2:15 pm – 2:30 pm: Break
  • 2:30 pm - 4:45pm EDIT!!

Please note: Ewan McAndrew (Wikimedian in Residence) will be in the Main Library Foyer 11am-12pm if you have any questions prior to the event starting.

Trainers edit

Ewan McAndrew, Wikimedian in Residence at University of Edinburgh

Hit list of articles to be created or improved for Women in Art edit

Articles to be created - (please add to the Women in Red pages first) edit

Articles to be improved edit

** The work of those artists marked with a double asterisk has now passed into the public domain.

Hit List for articles to be created or improved for Women in Science edit

Edinburgh Seven and Women in Medicine:

Additional topics that could be of relevance to some of the above articles also include the St Giles debate about the university education of women and Lister’s letter in opposition of clinical placements for women medical students at the Royal Infirmary.

Notable University of Edinburgh Alumni:

What can I do after the event? edit

Join us for the event!

You may find these useful if you want to learn further about editing:

External links edit

Wikimedia Commons has media related to ArtAndFeminism 2016.

Material edit

The main link to refer to for research materials for all the above topics can be found here: Click here for resources

Participants are also encouraged to make full use of the University of Edinburgh's extensive online resources, such as databases and e-journals, as well as any of their own research material that they may have access to.

Additional resources are available through the National Library of Scotland's digital galleries and licensed digital collections. Any NLS reader has free access to the licensed digital collections with an online account, and if you are not a reader, you can become one quickly and easily by registering as a new user or a new online user using any residential address in Scotland.

If it is your first time editing Wikipedia, you might find some of the following instructional videos helpful. There will be training on the day, but these videos can act as refreshers if you need them!

  • Video: Creating a user page
  • Video: Talk pages
  • Video: Sandboxes
  • Video: Basic editing techniques
  • Video: Improving an article on Wikipedia
  • Video: Creating an article on Wikipedia
  • Video: Understanding Wiki Categories


Participants - Sign Up Here! edit

Prior to the event:
If you are a member of staff or a student at the University of Edinburgh then you can signup by clicking here: Book through UoE Event Booking

  1. RSVP: Emcandre@ed.ac.uk
  2. Do you have a Wikipedia User Name?
    No? Create a Wikipedia account
    Yes? Go to Step #2
  3. Sign up! Add your Wikipedia User Name to this section by clicking the blue button below (follow instructions). Your name will be added to the bottom of this page
Don't worry! If you haven't edited Wikipedia before and don't have a Wikipedia User Name yet, we will help you on the day of the event! And remember to have fun!
To sign up for this event: Log in or create an account.
  1. Stinglehammer (talk) 17:09, 7 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Outcomes edit

Articles created edit

Articles improved edit

Other outcomes edit

Two new users trained in how to edit Wikipedia. Only one red-linked women artist remains from the 45 artists identified in the ongoing collaboration with the National Galleries of Scotland for the exhibition 'Modern Scottish Women': Ivy Gardner Proudfoot. Increased links with other Art+Feminism editathon organisers including the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Wikimedian in Residence for Gender Equity at West Virginia University, Kelly Doyle.

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