User:Barbara (WVS)/Visiting Scholar

Wikipedia Visiting Scholar 

I was able to best explain my role and advantages of the Visiting Scholars program in this post:
 * "The University of Pittsburgh continues to allow me access to their databases and subscription-based content. I have not been assigned specific women's health articles but was told that they are very happy that I've been able to create and improve content related to these topics. I also create and cite content in other medical articles. I also own medical textbooks that I purchased myself to help source content that I add and references to content that already exists. In this article, I've used the D'amico reference to support the section on vaginal health and pelvic exams. I bought that book as required for my nursing classes. I have purchased other medical textbooks (8+) for the class. The University of Pittsburgh does not have digital access to most of the textbooks that I have been using, well none really, so it is good that I have these books to use. If I have a book for a source, I use it. I also go to the library to use books there and have been able to use the Pitt medical school library (which is open to the public). I have access to subscription-based content and sources through the nursing school which is not part of the University of Pittsburgh. I have access to subscription-based content through our county library system. If I search the databases through the University of Pittsburgh Library System to find a journal article or a specialized text that I don't own, I will cite it to support content that I add. At this point in the process, I don't go into other search engines to determine whether or not other editors have access to the same journal articles. If I know about the source existing 'free' somewhere else, then I add the url to the free source. I have also posted to the project Medicine talk page and offered to obtain subscription-based content for other editors. For medical topics, I don't use unpublished materials or research papers. I have used unpublished sources for historical articles (dissertations). I used to add a tag to citations to indicate that they were behind a paywall, but was asked by other editors to stop doing that. I stopped. I am always happy to see that a source that I accessed through the University of Pittsburgh is also available without charge from another source. I don't rely on sources behind the paywall but use them when appropriate. I've made a handful of errors regarding the use of primary sources and then the opposite-deleting sources that are not primary sources by mistake (these instances are on my talk page). Thanks for asking. I've never been asked to explain the access I have through the three libraries that I use so I hope it helps." see



(also edits as ) has been a Visiting Scholar at the University of Pittsburgh since 2015. Barbara contributes to a wide range of topics, often inspired by the University of Pittsburgh's collections on historical topics. In March 2017, Barbara celebrated her 10-year anniversary as a Wikipedian.


 * Highlights
 * Improved more than 1000 articles which have been viewed more than 100 million times.
 * Created more than 100 new articles
 * Developed high-quality health and medicine information on topics like trichomoniasis, adolescent sexuality, bacteriocin, Bifidobacterium longum, breastfeeding, feline zoonosis, gut flora, Lactobacillus paracasei, chlamydia infection, Staphylococcus aureus, miscarriage, and thrombosis prevention.
 * Brought the Whiskey Rebellion article to Good Article status with content from the University of Pittsburgh archives.
 * Improved content in eight different Wikipedias: English, Simple English, Kreyol Ayisen, Portuguese, Italian, German, Esperanto and French.
 * Translated articles about women's health topics from English to Kreyol Ayisien and Simple English
 * Over 28,000 edits as and over 27,000 edits as
 * 182 images uploaded to Wikimedia Commons
 * Created neonatal infection, uterine microbiome, and serial rapist, which were featured in the Did You Know section of Wikipedia's Main Page


 * Media
 * University of Pittsburgh welcomes two Visiting Scholars - Wiki Education Foundation blog (25 September 2015)
 * The Wikipedia Visiting Scholar Program and Why It Works for Women - Wikimedia Diversity Conference (17 June 2016)
 * UPitt Visiting Scholar is opening access to women’s health information - Wiki Education Foundation blog (28 June 2016)
 * Volunteer Expands Pitt's Reach, One Wikipedia Citation at a Time - PittChronicle (22 August 2016)
 * American Archives Month- Using Archives in Wikipedia - Archives Service Center @ Pitt (27 October 2016)
 * Meet the nonprofit responsible for adding educational content to Wikipedia by LiAnna Davis, Wiki Education Foundation blog (5 December 2016)
 * Library searches for ‘Wikipedian’ The Temple News, Temple University. (6 September 2016)
 * Pitz, Marylynne, Wikipedia Woman of Letters''. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. December 11, 2016.
 * Pitt Med Magazine, (Spring 2017) The University of Pittsburgh Medical School Magazine.
 * CCAC to serve as a host for Northeast Regional Honors Council Conference in April Community College of Allgheny County, March 8, 2017