Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Rice University/Poverty, Justice, and Human Capabilities (Fall 2016)

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Course name
Poverty, Justice, and Human Capabilities
Institution
Rice University
Instructor
Dr. Diana Strassmann
Wikipedia Expert
Sage (Wiki Ed)
Subject
Economics, Public policy
Course dates
2016-08-22 00:00:00 UTC – 2016-12-31 23:59:59 UTC
Approximate number of student editors
12


This course provides an introduction to the study of poverty, justice, and capabilities. The course considers theory and economic policy oriented towards improving human well-being in the US and internationally. Readings address material deprivations and inequalities, including links to racial and ethnic disparities, gender, sexual orientation, health status, education, human rights, and political freedoms. Students will revise or create Wikipedia articles related to the course content.

Student Assigned Reviewing
Rjpg12 Muslim women in sport Women in Vietnam, Debt Bondage
Brookeenglish Sex Education in India, Domestic Violence in Same-sex Relationships
Kmwebber Domestic violence in same-sex relationships Self Employed Women's Association, Sex education in India
Ghv2 Self Employed Women's Association Domestic violence in same-sex relationships, Sex education in India
Sa49 Debt bondage Women in Vietnam, Muslim women in sport
Cpm5 School Integration in the United States Bangladesh textile industry, Mineral industry of Peru
Akweaver32 Neglected tropical diseases Healthcare in Nicaragua, Maternal health in Texas
SBanda Maternal Health in Texas Healthcare in Nicaragua, Neglected tropical diseases
Trs6 Bangladesh textile industry School integration in the United States, Mineral industry of Peru
Sraman195 Mineral industry of Peru Bangladesh textile industry, School Integration in the United States
Brittany Lai Women in Vietnam Muslim women in sport, Debt bondage
Venkam Sex education in India Self Employed Women's Association, Domestic violence in same-sex relationships
Mtran99 Healthcare in Nicaragua Neglected tropical diseases, Maternal health in Texas
BSchilling

Timeline

Week 1

Course meetings
Tuesday, 23 August 2016   |   Thursday, 25 August 2016
Wikipedia Assignment Overview

Welcome to the Wikipedia project's course timeline. This page will guide you through the Wikipedia project for this course, and will break down writing a Wikipedia article into a series of steps. These steps include online trainings to help you get started on Wikipedia. 

 This 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: 



Week 2

Course meetings
Tuesday, 30 August 2016   |   Thursday, 1 September 2016
Assignment - Create a Wikipedia Account & User Page

Due  9 pm Tuesday, Aug 30.

  • Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link on the course syllabus.
  • You will be prompted to register for Wikipedia by creating a user account.  (If you already have a Wikipedia account, just log in). 
    • Click "okay" to authorize the dashboard.wikiedu.org.
    • You will then be redirected to the course page


  • Create a user page:
    • Go to En.Wikipedia.org, and make sure that you are logged in. If so, your newly created account name will be in the upper right hand corner. 
    • Click on your userid, and you will then be directed to your user page, which should have a header that reads "User:".
    • Click on the link towards the upper right hand corner of the Wikipedia interface that says "Create." After clicking on the “Create” link, you will be redirected to a page with a header that reads "Editing User:" with a large text box.
    • In the text box compose some sentences about yourself. You may for example, highlight your interests and some areas of Wikipedia to which you wish to contribute.  You may wish to look at the user pages of some former students to see some examples. In the Wikipedia search bar, type one of the following: User: Leejohnson898; User: Weatherby551; User: BSchilling.  For the future:  be sure to continue to develop your Wikipedia user page over the course of the semester, and update it later as your life circumstances change.


  • 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 in upcoming weeks.  Be sure to check back and complete them! Incomplete trainings will be reflected in your grade.
    • To get credit, be sure you are logged into Wikipedia and have already added your user name to the course page.
    • To go to your Sandbox, click the link on the upper right hand side of the page titled “Sandbox.” This will lead you to a user page called Special:MyPage/sandbox.  You can practice Wikipedia editing in your sandbox until you are ready to begin editing in the Wikipedia mainspace. 
Milestones

Everyone has a WIkipedia account and is listed on the course page.

In class - Topic Ideas


  • Suggestions for finding the best articles to work on for class assignments
  • Discussion of parent and child articles
  • Anatomy of Wikipedia articles, what makes a good article, how to distinguish among good and bad articles
  • Collaborating and engaging with the Wiki editing community

Resources: Using Talk Pages, Evaluating Wikipedia, Contributing to Wikipedia: Overall Guidelines and Evaluation CriteriaChoosing an article


Assignment - Introduce Yourself to a Classmate

Due 9 pm Thursday Sep 1

To practice editing and communicating on Wikipedia, introduce yourself on the user talk page of one of your classmates.  Make sure you are logged into Wikipedia before making any postings! Add your introduction to the bottom of the Talk page and be sure to include a header for your introduction. Be sure to sign your comments with`Sage (Wiki Ed) (talk) 23:11, 28 June 2017 (UTC)`.[reply]

Assignment - Critique an Article

Due 9 pm Thursday, September 1.

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).
  • Review pages 4-7 of Evaluating Wikipedia and Contributing to Wikipedia: Overall Guidelines and Evaluation Criteria. These resources will give you a good, brief overview of what to look for in other articles, and what other people will look for in your own.
  • Explore topics related to the course to get a feel for how Wikipedia is organized. What areas seem to be missing? As you explore, make a mental note of articles that seem like good candidates for improvement. 
  • Choose an article relevant to the course, 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 slanted toward a particular position?
    • Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? Is any lack of neutrality 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 at the **bottom** of the page. Be sure to incude a heading above your comments and sign your feedback with four tildes — Sage (Wiki Ed) (talk) 23:11, 28 June 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Week 3

Course meetings
Tuesday, 6 September 2016   |   Thursday, 8 September 2016
Assignment - Proposed topics

Due 9pm Thursday September 8.

Choosing your topic is the earliest decision you need to make for this project. Careful selection of a workable topic will help you complete this assignment efficiently and make a valuable contribution.

  • Begin with the following activities:

    • Carefully review the document Contributing to Wikipedia: Overall Guidelines and Evaluation Criteria and page 6 of Editing Wikipedia
    • Browse through Wikipedia and review examples of good or featured articles on topics related to the course
    • Review Choosing an article***Note, however, that the "Don't" bullet, discouraging students from reworking entire articles does not apply to this course, as many articles related to our subject matter are of such low quality that reworking is needed.***
    • Think carefully about possible topics that might interest you. You have the option of revising an existing entry, creating a new one, or some combination that may involve adding to one or more articles and creating a new entry. New articles are discouraged unless a clear parent article already exists that has been well developed.
    • Research two topics or articles that you will consider working on as your main project. Review  the talk pages of any existing topics for a sense of other contributors who are working on these topics and what they are doing.
    • If you are considering a new article, confirm that the article already has a "parent" article
    • Topic titles should not sound like research papers or contain an argument. Since Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, all articles should reflect points of view and facts that have already been published. Additionally, article titles with two topics connected with the word “and” are generally discouraged in Wikipedia


  • For each proposed topic:
    • supply a few sentences to explain your interest and possible revisions;
    • note whether you would like to rewrite/add to an existing article, expand an existing stub, or create an entirely new entry;
    • if you are proposing a new article, describe the parent article and its quality; and
    • for your proposed choices, list at least ten new references to scholarly sources you would add in revising/creating the article.  You may consider doing the same for a proposed third article.
      • You may include references to newspaper, magazine, website, and blog sources, but these will not count toward the required number of scholarly references. All references need to be presented as formal full citations (do not simply provide links). Rank the topics in your order of interest. If approved, one of these topics will become your final topic.

Additionally:

  • List the topics you are considering plus the references on your user Talk page, along with your sentences expressing interest, etc.  Make sure you are logged into Wikipedia before making any postings!
  • Post a comment on the Talk pages of any articles you might consider revising or on a related Talk page if you are considering creating a new article. For instructions on posting to Talk pages, see Using Talk Pages.
  • Check out the WikiProjects affiliated with articles that interest you and read what other contributors have suggested for new and revised entries. You can find the affiliated WikiProjects on the Talk page of an article. Consider posting a query on a WikiProject talk page, particularly if you are interested in starting a new article.
  • Note: If a topic you might consider working on is controversial (for example, the article on Microcredit/Microfinance or Female Genital Mutilation), Wikipedia may restrict changes to the site or others may quickly reverse your changes. Highly trafficked pages may be changed by other users frequently, leaving it difficult for you to make a unique contribution. Additionally, if someone is actively curating the page, possibly preparing it for submission as a good or featured article, he or she may not welcome someone jumping in and making wholesale revisions. Please avoid such topics. Also avoid very broad topics, since these are difficult to research and cover comprehensively.

Submit to Owlspace: 

  • Submit a copy of the above requested info to the relevant assignment tab on Owlspace. For full credit, the file you submit must also contain the following features: 
    • File name: [LastName] WikiTopics.docx
    • Document must include: 
      • your name
      • page numbers
      • be doubled-spaced
      • be carefully proofed
      • preferred font - Baskerville, size 14 *labelled with correct filename


      • Bring a printed copy of the above items to class on Thursday or deliver to Humanities 108 by noon on Friday 9 September.***

Week 4

Course meetings
Tuesday, 13 September 2016   |   Thursday, 15 September 2016
Assignment - Add to an article

Due 9 pm Tuesday September 13.

Add a small contribution to an article related to the course.

  • Take the training module listed below on Sources and Citations.
  • Add 1–2 sentences of new information, backed up with a citation to an appropriate source, to a Wikipedia article related to the class.  Make sure you are logged into Wikipedia before making any postings!
  • When you make a small claim, clearly state the fact in your own words, and then cite the source where you found the information.  A best practice is to reference the author of the study in text, mentioning (if relevant) the context and sample of the study.
Milestones
  • All students have received feedback on topics. One-on-one meetings are available for all students.
Milestones

All students have written on one or more Wikipedia Talk Pages,   have added content to an article in the Wikipedia mainspace, and have copyedited an article.

Assignment - Copyedit an article

Due 9 pm Thursday September 15.

Choose an article relevant to the course.  Read through it, thinking about ways to improve the language, such as fixing grammatical mistakes and other wording issues.  Then, make the appropriate changes.  You don't need to contribute new information to the article.  Make at least 10 wording changes.  Be sure that you are logged in before making the changes.

In class - Discussion
Thinking about sources and plagiarism


  • 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 or a nonprofit's website as the main source of information about that organization's activities?
  • What is the difference between a copyright violation and plagiarism?
  • What are some good techniques to avoid close paraphrasing and plagiarism?

Block description…

Week 5

Course meetings
Tuesday, 20 September 2016   |   Thursday, 22 September 2016
Assignment - Proposal

Due in class Thursday September 22.

Overview

  • The proposal should be a typed plan (a minimum of 500-700 words, not including references, describing the work you propose to do. The proposal should not be a draft of your proposed new or revised article and should not contain paragraphs intended for your article.
  • The purpose of the proposal is to persuade readers of the merits of your planned changes or new article and it should demonstrate how your article will differ from or improve upon any existing or related articles. To receive full credit for your eventual overall Wiki contribution, you will need to create a substantial amount of new material. The proposal, therefore, needs to clearly indicate the work you plan to contribute. You will need to do enough research to clearly explain the motivation behind your planned changes. Be sure to include all the required proposal components described below.
  • Planning Your Proposal: Questions and Suggestions
    • In planning your proposal, consider the following questions and suggestions:
    • Carefully read the comments you received on your topic assignment, including suggestions of references, reconceptualizations of your topic, title, etc. If you’ve been told your topic is too broad (or too narrow), alter your plan as suggested. Overly broad topics are discouraged since these are difficult to
       research and cover comprehensively.
    • You will have the option of revising an existing entry, creating a new one, or some combination that may involve adding to one or more articles and creating a new entry. New entries are generally discouraged unless a clear parent entry already exists.
    • Issues to consider if you are considering creating a new article: 
      •  If your proposed topic does not have a clear parent topic that has been developed beyond a stub or start class article, you should instead develop or revise/expand the parent topic instead.
    •  Post a query to one or more relevant project groups.
    •  Find one or more active Wikipedians who have contributed to a related article or to the relevant project group, and seek out their advice.
    •  Prepare to be flexible in response to the feedback you receive.
    •  Issues to consider in planning a revision to an existing article: 
      •  Are all parts of the existing entry clearly relevant to the topic?
      •  Does the entry present any unsubstantiated opinion as though backed by legitimate research? Can you identify any parts of the entry that should either be removed or require further support through citations?
      •  Does the existing article present all of the legitimate, research-backed approaches to a particular issue?
      •  Are there important subtopics that are not discussed?
      •  Rather than planning to provide missing citations, first consider whether your research would suggest emphasizing different points or an alternative structure, possibly deleting some of the unsupported claims.
      •  Does the existing article appropriately link to other Wikipedia sites? Are there any links that you could add?
    •   Issues to consider for both new and revised articles: 
      •  Identify the relevant subtopics for your proposed contribution and all of the legitimate, research-backed approaches to the topic.
      •  Narrow the number of subtopics that you will create. (If some important subtopics are beyond the scope of what you can realistically include, you can note additional subtopics meriting further development on the Talk page.)
    •  Your proposal should acknowledge and adhere to the standards required by Wikipedia for creating and updating articles. Be sure to carefully review   the previously provided information and resources.
  • Writing your proposal
    •   Your proposal should include each of the following items and use proper grammar, style, and organization: 
      •  Identify your topic (or topics). What is the name of the article (or articles) that you plan to revise or create? [Note: avoid titles with the word “and,” topics that do not have a clear parent article or titles that sound like arguments or research paper titles.]
      •  Explain why your topic needs to be revised, expanded, or added to Wikipedia. This explanation should be about the existing representation of the topic (or lack thereof) on Wikipedia and should not include paragraphs that would more appropriately go in the Wikipedia article. Include an argument for the relevance (“notability”) of this effort. Why should we care about this subject? What makes it interesting or important?
      •  Compare the current article or your planned contribution(s) with one or more specific Wikipedia articles you identify that have been assessed as B class, Good, or Featured and explain what would need to be done to bring your article to an improved status.
      •  If you are planning to propose a new entry, please provide substantial justification for why this would be better rather than expanding/revising an existing entry, given that new sections added to existing entries tend to receive far more traffic than completely new entries. You will need to show that the relevant parent article is well developed.
    •  All proposals should cover the concepts necessary to a critical understanding of the issues; related theoretical and policy debates, and a detailed analytical plan for the material you plan to add.
    •  Provide a detailed outline using the track changes feature of Word to show the sections you will be revising and creating. If you are creating a new article, your outline will comprise all the sections of the proposed article. If you are contributing to an existing article or articles, include an outline that shows existing sections to be kept or deleted and proposed new sections, clearly distinguishing among the two. An example of a sample outline is available under resources in Owlspace.
    •  In a separate section of your proposal, describe the planned work, and include detailed explanations of what you will include in each of the sections  you will be adding or revising. (If you plan to contribute to more than one article, be sure to explain what you will be contributing to each.) Include a substantive list of scholarly references expected to support each proposed section that you will be contributing to. The references should be organized by parts of the previously listed outline, with references listed for each major topic. Provide a minimum of two (and preferably more) scholarly references for each section you plan to add. References from news sources are permitted, but these are not a substitute for the minimum number of scholarly references required per section. 
      • Note: References should include material from outside the syllabus as well as relevant course readings. These will need to be listed following an appropriate documentation format such as Chicago style (including author, year, and page number). You may also use the APA style or the citation style preferred by the main umbrella Project Group for your contribution. MLA and other styles that do not emphasize the use of inline citations with publication dates should not be used. Note that once you start adding to specific articles, you should adhere to the referencing style preferred by a main related Wiki Project Group associated with the article.
    • Describe (i) the links to other entries that you plan to add, and (ii) links you will add from those pages to yours. To what existing Wikipedia pages will you add information about your page to increase traffic?
    • If you anticipate any potential difficulties, please describe these.
  • Submit your completed proposal to the relevant assignment tab on Owlspace. For full credit, the file you submit must also contain the following features:
    • File name: [LastName] WikiProposal.docx
    • Document must include:
    • your name
    • page numbers
    • be doubled-spaced
    • be carefully proofed
    • preferred font - Baskerville, size 14
    • labelled with core t dilename
      • Bring a printed copy of the above items to class.***

        Examples:

  • Examples of successful proposals from previous classes will be made available in Owlspace.

Week 6

Course meetings
Tuesday, 27 September 2016   |   Thursday, 29 September 2016
Assignment - Update your User page and Article Talk pages

Due 9 pm Tuesday September 27.

  • While you are waiting to hear back on your proposal, begin updating your user page and the talk pages of the article(s) you propose to contribute to.
  • In your sandbox, write a few sentences about what you plan to contribute to the selected article.  
  • Drawing from your proposal, create an annotated bibliography of the relevant, reliable books, journal articles, and other sources with a brief description of each source and its relevance to your topic. 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. 
  • Add the Talk and Article pages to your watch list, and check regularly to see if anyone offers advice on your previous postings
  • Engage with any feedback you receive.
  • Check out the WikiProjects affiliated with your topic. You can find the affiliated WikiProjects on the Talk page of an article. 
  • Take the Training Module on Sandboxes & Mainspace


Assignment - Illustrate an Article

Deadline Thu Sep 29

Find or create an appropriate photo, illustration, or piece of video/audio to add to an article.

  •  Before you start, review the Illustrating Wikipedia handbook, or see Editing Wikipedia pages 10–11. 
  • When you've reviewed those pages, take the training linked below.
  •  When you're ready to start finding images, remember: Never grab images you find through an image search, or those found on Instagram, Tumblr, Reddit, Imgur, or even so-called "Free image" or "free stock photo" websites. Instead, you'll want to find images with clear proof that the creator has given permission to use their work. Many of these images can be found on search.creativecommons.org
  •  Don't just upload an image to Wikipedia. Instead, upload it to Wikipedia's sister site for images, Wikimedia Commons. For instructions, read through the Illustrating Wikipedia handbook. 

Block description…

Week 7

Course meetings
Tuesday, 4 October 2016   |   Thursday, 6 October 2016
Milestones
  • All students have received feedback on proposals. 


Assignment - First Steps
initial writing

Due 9pm Thursday October 6.

  • Once your proposal is approved, add your article topic(s) to the course page. Remove other proposed topics from your user page unless you plan to work on them at some future date. If you plan to revise or expand an existing Wikipedia article, post a more detailed description and the rationale for your proposed changes for community feedback on the Talk page of the article. *Make sure you have logged into Wikipedia before making any postings! *Check back on the talk page often and engage with any responses.
  • Read Editing Wikipedia pages 7-9 and 12-14.
  • If you are starting a new article, write a 3–4 paragraph summary version of your article—with citations—in your Wikipedia sandbox. Then post on the Talk page of the parent article to your topic or to another one that is closely related to your topic, along with a brief summary of your plans and directing readers to your sandbox. 
    • Begin polishing your short starter article and fix any major issues.
    • Continue research in preparation for expanding your article.
    • Move your sandbox work into the main space, .
  • If you are expanding an existing article, copy your edits into the article. If you are making many small edits, save after each edit before you make the next one. Do NOT paste over the entire existing article, or large sections of the existing article.  (Exceptions may be made in the case of articles that have not been changed over a substantial period of time.)
  • If you are creating a new article, do NOT copy and paste your text, or there will be no record of your work history. Follow the instructions in the "Moving out of your sandbox" handout.
  • Begin expanding your article into a comprehensive treatment of the topic.
  • Be sure your Wikipedia settings are set so that you are able to watch and be notified of any comments or changes to Article, Talk, or User pages.
  • If you'd like a Wikipedia Content Expert to review your draft, now is the time! Click the "Get Help" button to request a response.
  • Don't panic if your work is overwritten or disappears. 
    • Check to see if there is an explanation of the edit on the article's talk page. If not, (politely) ask why it was removed.
    • Contact your instructor or the Wikipedia Content Expert and let them know.


In class - Discussion
Thinking about WIkipedia
  • 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?

Block description…


Assignment - Peer Review Sign up on Course Page

Deadline: Wed Oct 12 

SIgn up on the course page in the appropriate place as a Peer Reviewer of the other students in your Peer Review Group.

Week 8

Course meetings
Tuesday, 11 October 2016   |   Thursday, 13 October 2016
Assignment - Complete initial Contribution

Due in class Thursday October 13

Your initial contribution should be a minimum of 700 words, not including references. 

  • Review advice 
    • First, carefully consider the suggestions you have been given, both to your proposal when it was reviewed and graded, and any responses by Wikipedia editors to your contributions to the Project, Talk or your User page. As you write, be sure to continually check the article’s Talk page and any WikiProject Talk pages you have contributed to for user feedback and suggestions.
    • Reread Editing Wikipedia 12-14.  Read Editing Wikipedia p.15.
    • If you'd like a Wikipedia Content Expert to review your work, now is the time! Click the "Get Help" button in your sandbox to request notes.
  • Review information 
    • Review the various informational documents and links you have been given, particularly those relating to citations and avoiding plagiarism.
  • Continue writing! 
    • Make sure you are logged in before you write.
    • Consider saving after every sentence, so if an editor doesn’t like one of your points, only that sentence will be reverted.
    • Be sure that every assertion in your article is supported with a citation (and carefully review the information on citations referenced above). In-text citations that include the name of the scholar making the claim and information about any studies are superior to simple footnotes. 
    • A good practice is to include a reference after every sentence.  This is especially important for health-related articles.
    • To easily create citations, click on the word “Cite” at the top of the editing box. It will give you a drop-down menu of citation templates for books, journals, websites, and news. You can select a template and it will give you a form with all of the needed fields, and will then format the information for you. If you name the references where the template says “Ref name,” you can re-use them later by clicking on “Named references” and selecting whichever one you want. You put
under references for Wikipedia to auto-generate your reference list, and if you add a number like
, it will split the references up into that many columns. 
    • Do NOT paste over the entire existing article, or large sections of the existing article. After completing a change, press the “Save page” button. (Be sure to provide a brief explanation of each change in the space provided.) Overwriting entire articles or large sections is more acceptable for articles that are not actively being edited by other Wikipedians (no substantive new edits in several months). If you plan substantial deletions and overwriting to an existing page, make sure that you have provided advance explanations on the article's Talk page of the problems with the current page, and that you have described your planned revisions and given other Wikipedians time to respond. 
  • New article tips 
    • For new articles, consider using Wikipedia’s Article Wizard. The Wizard is a tool designed to help users creating articles for the first time. The Wizard is a six-step process that will ensure that you are ready to create a new article.
    • The easiest way to post a new article on the Wikipedia Mainspace is to log into your account and then type the name of your topic into the search box on the upper right-hand side of the page. If no article exists, you will be prompted to create one. Be sure to search for similar topics as well as articles about broader ideas that may already cover the topic you want to write about. 
    • Do not simply copy and paste your text from your sandbox to the article or there will be no record of your work history. Follow these instructions for how to move your work.
    • When changes are complete, press the “Save page” button.
    • Be sure to include your citations and references when you create your article or it may be deleted swiftly. 
    • If your contribution disappears, don’t panic and also don’t try to force your contribution back on
    • Check to see if there is an explanation of the edit on the article's talk page. If not, (politely) ask why it was removed.
    • Click the Get Help button 
  • General tips 
    • Your article should include a number of short sections (many of which you may have included in your proposal). Headings allow a reader to jump around and find the information they want easily. (When you include a heading, a table of contents will be automatically generated when you post to Wikipedia.) Wikipedia allows the creation of article headings with relative ease. 
    • Include links in your article. The linking infrastructure is what helps users navigate to and discover new information and will prevent your article from being orphaned and therefore unread. To add a link, double-bracket the word. For example, Capabilities Approach would link to the capabilities approach page. A link to a page that doesn’t exist will appear red. (Some of these instructions may change with the new visual editor.)  You should add links from your article to other articles and to your article from other relevant articles. 
    • Good Wikipedia articles contain illustrations that help explain the topic visually. Review the Training Module on Contributing Images and Media Files.
    • Click the “watch” button for both the article and talk page for each article you contributed to. As before, be sure to continually check the article’s Talk page and any WikiProject Talk pages for user feedback and suggestions.


  • Submission Instructions 
    • Submit the following documents to Owlspace by the deadline and email them to those in your peer review group: 
    • A  description of the contributions you have made. [Label the file: LastName]InitialContributionDescription.pdf (or .doc/.docx)]
    • An outline of your article, showing with track changes the sections you have edited, deleted, or added.  [Label the file: LastName]InitialContributionOutline.docx)] 
    • your contributions to Wikipedia  -- see instructions below for turning these into a doc ( (filename:  LastNameFinalContribution.docx or pdf) 


  • All posted documents must include: 
    • your name on the document itself plus be labelled with the correct filename
    • page numbers
    • be double-spaced (except the outline, which may be single-spaced)        *Baskerville font, size 14
    • reflect careful proofreading


      • Bring a printed copy of the above items to class following the printing instructions below.***

        File and printing Instructions for Wikipedia Contributions:

        Please prepare your  contributions to WIkipedia (including contributions to your main article and any made to other related articles, including links and references), following the instructions below.  

  •  If you created or rewrote an entire article, you can submit two documents: one with your final article and one of the original article.  If  you are the only person who has edited your article, take a screenshot or make a PDF (instructions below) of the entire article to submit. Please indicate in your Contribution Description that this is the case so it is clear that all the work you’re submitting is your own.
  • If you have only changed or added to part of the article, do not create a PDF that includes large amounts of text you have not contributed to.  In such cases, take screen shots of the parts you have contributed to or revised and compile those together in a word document or PDF.  
  • Please highlight in YELLOW the parts of the article that you added or changed.
  • Font size The font size must be large enough for me to easily read it when the PDF is printed (the equivalent of size 14). 
      • How to create legible PDF's and screenshots of a Wikipedia article***   You can create a PDF of a Wikipedia article by going to the Print/ Export area on the left-hand side of the Wikipedia page.  You will see three options; pick the one that says “Printable Version.” Click print to open the print dialogue box and then hit pdf to open print preview.  You can then take screen shots of the larger sized text that this window affords or save the entire article as a PDF.  You can read a brief description of how to do this at http://www.ehow(.)com/how6813102save-print-preview-pdf.html
  • Alternatively, you can take larger sized screen shots by zooming-in on the screen in Firefox and Google Chrome by  pressing “Control” or “Ctrl” and scrolling up. Then you can take your screenshot and the font will be larger.


***Highlighting***   The highlighting can be done in three ways: highlighting in Word; taking a screenshot of your article on Wikipedia and highlighting; or making a PDF of your article and highlighting.  

Highlighting Changes on PDFs on MACs 

  1. Open the PDF in preview.
  2. Click tools, then annotate, then highlight text.
  3. In the toolbar, you will see a color square. Select the correct color for the assignment.        YELLOW
  4. You can now highlight all sentence level changes you made. This will permit you to easily show which changes are yours and which are not. 
      • More detail re screenshots***   On a MAC For a selected screenshot, hold “command” and “shift” and then press 4. Use your cursor to then select the area to screenshot.
        For a full screenshot, hold “command” and “shift” and then press 3.
        The screenshots save to your desktop and can be renamed to .jpg or .pdf (they default as .png files).
        On a PC Please follow the steps provided at this link: http://www.wikihow.com/Take-a-Screenshot-in-Microsoft-Windows
Milestones

All students have created their initial contributions and have  submitted their contribution descriptions and track changed outlines to Owlspace and have sent them to their peer group members.

Assignment - Peer review

Due 9 pm Sunday October 16

  1. Take the Peer Review online training.
  2. Review "Evaluating Wikipedia"  and pages 7-15 of Editing Wikipedia before reading the contributions of your peers.
  3. Complete one copy of the Peer Review Rubric for each of the students whose work you are reviewing. (Peer Review Rubric Forms will be available on Owlspace.)
  4. Please type your comments for each article you are reviewing onto a copy of the form available in Owlspace. Be sure to note on the form the name of the person whose work you are reviewing, the reviewed article’s title, plus your name as the peer reviewer. Provide thoughtful and detailed comments that will help your peer group members improve their articles. Detailed constructive suggestions will help your classmates. [Examples from past years will be made available on Owlspace.]                                            *Label each file with your name and that of the person whose work you are reviewing as follows: [YourLastName]ReviewOf[AuthorLastName].docx, e.g. SmithReviewofJones.docx*
  5. Add a summary of your comments on the Talk page of each article you are reviewing. Upload the files to the relevant assignment tab on Owlspace (including a word doc noting where your talk page comments may be found) AND email the relevant, filled-out forms to each person whose work you have reviewed by the deadline. ***Bring two printed and stapled copies of each of your Peer Review forms to class, one for the person being reviewed and one for your instructor***



Assignment - Optional
Submitting a Did You Know hook to Wikipedia.

Deadline: Thursday 20 October (deadline variable depending on timing of article creation or 5-fold expansion). 

This optional assignment can help draw traffic to your page and increase the “hits” it receives. Only new articles or articles that have greatly increased the word count of a previously existing article are eligible. “Did you know” hooks must be submitted within 7 days of the creation of a new article or a fivefold expansion (usually from a stub) of an existing article. Submitting a DYK hook requires that you engage with other Wikipedia editors in a discussion that will likely result in requests for improvement to the article. 

  • To nominate your article, follow the instructions in Did You Know process
  • Or you may read the full guide to Did You Know nominations at: WP:DYK
  • You may also review a quick guide at User:Rjanag/Quick DYK 2 for step-by-step on screen instructions. 
    • Search Template talk:Did you know on Wikipedia. Click on “How to post a new nomination.”
    • Follow the on screen instructions in the yellow and orange form.
    • Create a nomination subpage.
  • Write the nomination using the DYK template Template:NewDYKnomination
    • You will need to write a good hook -- the “Did you know” fact for your article (see below for details). To write a good hook: 
      • Remember to begin the hook with "... that", to end it with a question mark, and to link the article title within the hook and make it bold.
      • The hook should be fewer than 200 characters.
      • The hook should refer to established facts.
      • The hook should be neutral.
      • The "Did you know?" fact must be mentioned in the article and cited with an inline citation since inline citations are used to support specific statements in an article. Many submissions fail to meet one or both of these criteria.
    • List the nomination page at "Template talk:Did you know" by finding the appropriate date and adding This is not the proper page to nominate your DYK article. If you have arrived here by accident, please return to T:TDYK and create your DYK nomination page by replacing the text "YOUR ARTICLE TITLE" in the form, with the title of the article you intend to nominate. under the date of the article's creation or expansion.
    • Screen shot your completed nomination and submit to Owlspace when completed with the file name [LastName]PagePromtion.doc/.jpeg/.pdf/etc                    
    •  ***Bring a printed copy of the above items to class.***

Block description…

Week 9

Course meetings
Tuesday, 18 October 2016   |   Thursday, 20 October 2016
Group Workshops

Workshop: Students will meet in class on Tuesday October 18 with their peer review groups to discuss their feedback on each others articles.  This class is required.

Assignment - Peer Review 2 Signup on Course Page

Deadline: Wed Oct 26 

SIgn up on the course page in the appropriate place as a Peer Reviewer of the other students in your Peer Review Group.

Week 10

Course meetings
Tuesday, 25 October 2016   |   Thursday, 27 October 2016
Assignment - Expanded Contribution

Due in class Thursday October 27

  • Review Editing Wikipedia pages 12-15.
  • Expand and Revise your Wikipedia contributions in response to the advice you have received from your peer review group and from any others, including Wikipedians.
  • Reach out to your instructor or the Content Expert if you have any questions. 


  • Submission Instructions 
    • Submit the following documents to Owlspace by the deadline and email them to those in your peer review group: 
    • A  description of the contributions you have made. [Label the file: LastName]ExpandedContributionDescription.pdf (or .doc/.docx)]
    • An outline of your article, showing with track changes the sections you have edited, deleted, or added.  [Label the file: LastName]ExpandedContributionOutline.docx)] 
    • your contributions to Wikipedia  -- see instructions below for turning these into a doc ( (filename:  LastNameExpandedContribution.docx or pdf) 


  • All posted documents must include: 
    • your name on the document itself plus be labelled with the correct filename
    • page numbers
    • be double-spaced (except the outline, which may be single-spaced)       
    •  Baskerville font, size 14
    • reflect careful proofreading


      • Bring a printed copy of the above items to class following the printing instructions below.***

        File and printing Instructions for Wikipedia Contributions:

        Please prepare your  contributions to WIkipedia (including contributions to your main article and any made to other related articles, including links and references), following the instructions below.  

  •  If you created or rewrote an entire article, you can submit two documents: one with your final article and one of the original article.  If  you are the only person who has edited your article, take a screenshot or make a PDF (instructions below) of the entire article to submit. Please indicate in your Contribution Description that this is the case so it is clear that all the work you’re submitting is your own.
  • If you have only changed or added to part of the article, do not create a PDF that includes large amounts of text you have not contributed to.  In such cases, take screen shots of the parts you have contributed to or revised and compile those together in a word document or PDF.  
  • Please highlight in Pale Aqua any new parts of the article that you added or changed (keeping older changes you've made highighted in yellow).
  • Font size The font size must be large enough for me to easily read it when the PDF is printed (the equivalent of size 14). 
      • How to create legible PDF's and screenshots of a Wikipedia article***   You can create a PDF of a Wikipedia article by going to the Print/ Export area on the left-hand side of the Wikipedia page.  You will see three options; pick the one that says “Printable Version.” Click print to open the print dialogue box and then hit pdf to open print preview.  You can then take screen shots of the larger sized text that this window affords or save the entire article as a PDF.  You can read a brief description of how to do this at http://www.ehow(.)com/how6813102save-print-preview-pdf.html
  • Alternatively, you can take larger sized screen shots by zooming-in on the screen in Firefox and Google Chrome by  pressing “Control” or “Ctrl” and scrolling up. Then you can take your screenshot and the font will be larger.


***Highlighting***   The highlighting can be done in three ways: highlighting in Word; taking a screenshot of your article on Wikipedia and highlighting; or making a PDF of your article and highlighting.  

Highlighting Changes on PDFs on MACs 

  1. Open the PDF in preview.
  2. Click tools, then annotate, then highlight text.
  3. In the toolbar, you will see a color square. Select the correct color for the assignment.        YELLOW
  4. You can now highlight all sentence level changes you made. This will permit you to easily show which changes are yours and which are not. 
      • More detail re screenshots***   On a MAC For a selected screenshot, hold “command” and “shift” and then press 4. Use your cursor to then select the area to screenshot.
        For a full screenshot, hold “command” and “shift” and then press 3.
        The screenshots save to your desktop and can be renamed to .jpg or .pdf (they default as .png files).
        On a PC Please follow the steps provided at this link: http://www.wikihow.com/Take-a-Screenshot-in-Microsoft-Windows


Assignment - Optional
Good Article Status submission

Deadline: Friday 28 October

At this stage, you may consider nominating your article for Good Article Status. If you opt to seek Good Article status you must remove the nomination at the end of the semester if your article is unreviewed; or alternatively, you must commit to following up on the review after the end of the semester. (Not responding to reviews provided by Wikipedia editors to Good Article review nominations is disrespectful of the time the editors put into their reviews and suggestions.) 

  • Good Articles are articles that meet a high quality standard and have been approved by members of the Wikipedia community. If you choose this route, you will self-nominate your article for Good Article review and a Wikipedia editor may eventually provide your article with a review and feedback. The independent Wikipedia review process may take weeks or months and therefore achieving Good Article status is not required for the course.
  • First, peruse the Good Article Criteria found here. Then go to the Good Article Nominations page and follow the on-screen instructions for “How to Nominate an Article.” Your efforts in nominating your article (if appropriate) will be taken into account in your final project grade.


Assignment - Peer Review 2

Due 9pm Sunday October 30

  1. Rereview "Evaluating Wikipedia"  and pages 7-15 of Editing Wikipedia before reading the contributions of your peers.
  2. Complete one copy of the Peer Review Rubric for each of the students whose work you are reviewing. (Peer Review Rubric Forms will be available on Owlspace.)
  3. Please type your comments for each article you are reviewing onto a copy of the form available in Owlspace. Be sure to note on the form the name of the person whose work you are reviewing, the reviewed article’s title, plus your name as the peer reviewer. Provide thoughtful and detailed comments that will help your peer group members improve their articles. Detailed constructive suggestions will help your classmates. 
  4.  *Label each file with your name and that of the person whose work you are reviewing as follows: [YourLastName]ReviewOf[AuthorLastName].docx, e.g. SmithReviewofJones.docx*  This info should also be written ON the document or points will be deducted.
  5. Add a summary of your comments on the Talk page of each article you are reviewing. Upload the files to the relevant assignment tab on Owlspace (including a word doc noting where your talk page comments may be found) AND email the relevant, filled-out forms to each person whose work you have reviewed by the deadline. ***Bring two printed and stapled copies of each of your Peer Review forms to class, one for the person being reviewed and one for your instructor***

Week 11

Course meetings
Tuesday, 1 November 2016   |   Thursday, 3 November 2016
In class - Group Workshop

Tuesday November 1

Week 12

Course meetings
Tuesday, 8 November 2016   |   Thursday, 10 November 2016
Assignment - Final Contribution

Due in class Thursday November 17

Expand and revise your Wikipedia contributions in response to your peer review feedback and any comments posted to your User and Talk pages by other Wikipedia editors. Be proactive in seeking advice from editors in the Wikipedia community. Your expanded contribution should be a minimum of 1500 words, not including references. Additionally, you should have added to content to other pages as well to provide links and short summaries of the material on your page. By this stage, you should have added at least fifteen new references from scholarly sources. Additional references may come from non-scholarly sources, such as from news reports or governmental or NGO websites, but these do not count towards the required fifteen scholarly sources. 

  1. Double check that all assertions are appropriately supported and referenced 
    • As noted in various materials and in class, make sure you attribute claims to specific authors and studies in the text using in line citations where appropriate rather than just supporting specific assertions with footnotes. Review the brochures on citations, references, and on how to avoid plagiarism. Make sure your article does not copy the structure of any articles or books you are referencing or use inappropriate close paraphrasing.
  2. Add links and images 
    • The best Wikipedia articles have illustrations and images, link to other pages, and have other pages linking to them. Review the Training Module on Contributing Images and Media Files and the brochures Polishing your article and Illustrating Wikipedia for good advice on adding images and additional links.
  3.  Check permissions 
    • Check to make sure you have the requisite permissions for any images or illustrations.
  4.  Questions? 
    • If you have questions, post questions to search.ask.wikiedu.org on the Dashboard, seek out help from online volunteers, and review  How to Get Help for useful advice, and access live tutorials available at Tips and Resources.
  5.  Submission Instructions 
    • Make sure that all your Wikipedia contributions are live by the deadline.
    • Additionally, submit the following documents to Owlspace
      • a  description of the contributions you have made (filename:  LastNameFinalContributionDescription.docx)
      • a revised outline of your article, showing with track changes the sections you have edited, deleted, or added to your main article and to any other ones (partial outlines ok for subsidiary articles)  (filename:  LastNameFinalOutline.docx)
      • your contributions to Wikipedia  -- see instructions below for turning these into a doc ( (filename:  LastNameFinalContribution.docx or pdf) 
  6. For full credit, the files you submit must also contain the following features: 
    • Correct filenames (see above)
    • Document smust include: 
      • your name
      • page numbers
      • be doubled-spaced
      • be carefully proofed
      • preferred font - Baskerville, size 14 (or in a comparable size when printed)
      • Please deliver a printed copy of the above items to class***
        See printing instructions below.

Handouts:

Polishing your article



File and printing Instructions for Final Contribution:

Please prepare your final contributions to WIkipedia (including contributions to your main article and any made to other related articles, including links and references), following the instructions below.  

  •  If you created or rewrote an entire article, you can submit two documents: one with your final article and one of the original article.  If  you are the only person who has edited your article, take a screenshot or make a PDF (instructions below) of the entire article to submit. Please indicate in your Contribution Description that this is the case so it is clear that all the work you’re submitting is your own.
  • If you have only changed or added to part of the article, do not create a PDF that includes large amounts of text you have not contributed to.  In such cases, take screen shots of the parts you have contributed to or revised and compile those together in a word document or PDF.  
  • Please add new highlights in a light color (e.g. pale pink) so that the writing is readable when printed, keeping the previous edits in Yellow and Aqua, showing the new parts of the article that you added or changed.
  • Font size The font size must be large enough for me to easily read it when the PDF is printed (the equivalent of size 14). 
      • How to create legible PDF's and screenshots of a Wikipedia article***   You can create a PDF of a Wikipedia article by going to the Print/ Export area on the left-hand side of the Wikipedia page.  You will see three options; pick the one that says “Printable Version.” Click print to open the print dialogue box and then hit pdf to open print preview.  You can then take screen shots of the larger sized text that this window affords or save the entire article as a PDF.  You can read a brief description of how to do this at http://www.ehow(.)com/how6813102save-print-preview-pdf.html
  • Alternatively, you can take larger sized screen shots by zooming-in on the screen in Firefox and Google Chrome by  pressing “Control” or “Ctrl” and scrolling up. Then you can take your screenshot and the font will be larger.


***Highlighting***   The highlighting can be done in three ways: highlighting in Word; taking a screenshot of your article on Wikipedia and highlighting; or making a PDF of your article and highlighting.  

Highlighting Changes on PDFs on MACs 

  1. Open the PDF in preview.
  2. Click tools, then annotate, then highlight text.
  3. In the toolbar, you will see a color square. Select the correct color for the assignment.        YELLOW
  4. You can now highlight all sentence level changes you made. This will permit you to easily show which changes are yours and which are not. 
      • More detail re screenshots***   On a MAC For a selected screenshot, hold “command” and “shift” and then press 4. Use your cursor to then select the area to screenshot.
        For a full screenshot, hold “command” and “shift” and then press 3.
        The screenshots save to your desktop and can be renamed to .jpg or .pdf (they default as .png files).
        On a PC Please follow the steps provided at this link: http://www.wikihow.com/Take-a-Screenshot-in-Microsoft-Windows

Week 13

Course meetings
Tuesday, 15 November 2016   |   Thursday, 17 November 2016

Week 14

Course meetings
Tuesday, 22 November 2016   |   Thursday, 24 November 2016
Assignment - Reflective Essay

Due in class Tuesday November 22

Write a reflective essay (3-4 pages) on your Wikipedia experience.  Although this essay will naturally reference some details from your Contribution Description, it should take an essay format and be deeply reflective about your Wikipedia experience.  

For full credit, the file you submit must also contain the following features:

  1.  Correct filename: [Label the file: LastName]Reflection.docx]
  2. Document must include: 
    • your name
    • page numbers
    • be doubled-spaced
    • be carefully proofed
    • preferred font - Baskerville, size 14
  3. In addition, to submitting to Owlspace, bring a printed copy to class on the due date.


Week 15

Course meetings
Tuesday, 29 November 2016   |   Thursday, 1 December 2016