Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Howard University/Sociology of Food and Agriculture (Fall 2017)

Will copy in later from syllabus.

Week 1
Welcome to your Wikipedia project's course timeline. This page will guide you through the Wikipedia project for your course. Be sure to check with your instructor to see if there are other pages you should be following as well.

This page breaks down writing a Wikipedia article into a series of steps, or milestones. These steps include online trainings to help you get started on Wikipedia.

Your course has also been assigned a Wikipedia Content Expert. Check your Talk page for notes from them. You can also reach them through the &quot;Get Help&quot; button on this page.


 * Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you. (To avoid hitting Wikipedia's account creation limits, this is best done outside of class. Only 6 new accounts may be created per day from the same IP address.)
 * 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 as you get to new milestones. Be sure to check back and complete them! Incomplete trainings will be reflected in your grade.
 * Please review the following handouts:
 * Editing Wikipedia pages 1–5
 * Evaluating Wikipedia
 * When you finish the trainings, practice by introducing yourself to a classmate on that classmate’s Talk page.

Week 2
It's time to think critically about Wikipedia articles. You'll evaluate a Wikipedia article related to the course and leave suggestions for improving it on the article's Talk page.


 * Complete the &quot;Evaluating Articles and Sources&quot; training (linked below).
 * Create a section in your sandbox titled &quot;Article evaluation&quot; where you'll leave notes about your observations and learnings.
 * Read the Sociology of Food article and choose another article on Wikipedia related to our course to read and evaluate. As you read, consider the following questions (but don't feel limited to these):
 * 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 biased toward a particular position?
 * Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
 * Check a few citations. Do the links work? Does the source support the claims in the article?
 * Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference? Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?
 * Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
 * Check out the Talk page of the article. What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?
 * How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
 * How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?
 * Optional: Choose at least 1 question relevant to the article you're evaluating and leave your evaluation on the article's Talk page. Be sure to sign your feedback with four tildes — Samantha (Wiki Ed) (talk) 18:48, 20 August 2018 (UTC).

Week 3
Familiarize yourself with editing Wikipedia by adding a citation to an article.


 * Use one of the reading's we've done so far this semester and find an article on Wikipedia related to the content discussed there. Add 1-2 sentences to the article, and cite that statement to your reliable source, as you learned in the online training.

Week 4
It's time to choose an article and assign it to yourself.


 * Review page 6 of your Editing Wikipedia guidebook.
 * Find an article from the list of &quot;Available Articles&quot; on the Articles tab on this course page. When you find the one you want to work on, click Select to assign it to yourself.
 * If you have a topic that you think you want to work on that is not on the list, let Dr. Perkins know. She can approve your topics on a case by case basis.
 * In your sandbox, write a few sentences about what you plan to contribute to the selected article.
 * Think back to when you did an article critique. What can you add? Post some of your ideas to the article's talk page.
 * Compile a list of relevant, reliable books, journal articles, or other sources. 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.

Week 5
Edit the list of source that you turned in last week. Revise in response to Dr. Perkins's feedback on Assignment 4. Expand list to include 20 sources. Make sure that the majority of these sources are peer-reviewed, academic sources (if you have trouble with this, come see Dr. Perkins during office hours for help). Post revised list of sources on your sandbox (do not delete original list).

Week 6
You've picked a topic and found your sources. Now it's time to start writing.

'''Creating a new article?

'''


 * Write an outline of that topic in the form of a standard Wikipedia article's &quot;lead section.&quot; Write it in your sandbox.
 * A &quot;lead&quot; section is not a traditional introduction. It should summarize, very briefly, what the rest of the article will say in detail. The first paragraph should include important, broad facts about the subject. A good example is Ada Lovelace. See Editing Wikipedia page 9 for more ideas.

'''Improving an existing article?

'''


 * Identify what's missing from the current form of the article. Think back to the skills you learned while critiquing an article. Make notes for improvement in your sandbox, and create an outline for the content you intend to add.

Keep reading your sources, too, as you prepare to write the body of the article.

Resources: Editing Wikipedia pages 7–9

Week 7

 * Keep working on transforming your article into a complete first draft. Get draft ready for peer-review.
 * If you'd like a Wikipedia Expert to review your draft, now is the time! Click the &quot;Get Help&quot; button in your sandbox to request notes.

Week 8
Complete your first draft in your sandbox. Put the draft below a new section with a header that reads &quot;Assignment 8: Complete first draft.&quot; Under the header, include the hyperlinked name of the Wikipedia page to which you will be adding content. If you are creating a new page, include the page name with the text &quot;new page&quot; after it. After this due date, your peers will spend the next week reading, evaluating, and giving you feedback on your work.

For a refresher on how to create sections, bullet-point lists, links etc, repeat the &quot;Editing Basics&quot; training from Assignment 1.


 * First, take the &quot;Peer Review&quot; online training.
 * Select two classmates’ articles that you will peer review.
 * Peer review your classmates' drafts. Leave suggestions on on your fellow student's Talk Page (to find a user's Talk page, click on their username and you'll see the talk link at the top left of the page). Put your comments in a new section on their Talk page (to create a new section, click &quot;New section&quot; on the Talk page). Other editors may be reviewing your work, so look for their comments! Be sure to acknowledge feedback from other Wikipedians.
 * Make sure to check for:
 * A lead section that is easy to understand
 * A clear structure
 * Balanced, neutral coverage
 * Encyclopedic tone
 * Links to other wikipedia pages as appropriate
 * A reference section with reliable sources
 * Proper citations
 * Leave your comments on the author's Talk page.  Be sure to answer the following questions:
 * First, what does the article do well? Is there anything from your review that impressed you? Any turn of phrase that described the subject in a clear way?
 * What changes would you suggest the author apply to the article? Why would those changes be an improvement?
 * What's the most important thing the author could do to improve the article?
 * Did you notice anything about the article you reviewed that could be applicable to your own article? Let them know!

Be sure to &quot;sign&quot; your comments on the author's Talk Page by using four tildes (Samantha (Wiki Ed) (talk) 18:48, 20 August 2018 (UTC)).

Week 9
Use your peer review comments and feedback you may have gotten from other Wikipedians to improve your article.


 * Read Editing Wikipedia pages 12 and 14.
 * Return to your draft or article and think about the suggestions. Decide which ones to start implementing. Reach out to your instructor or your Wikipedia Expert if you have any questions (to contact the latter, click the &quot;Get Help&quot; button in your sandbox).
 * For a refresher on how to create sections, bullet-point lists, links, citations etc, repeat the &quot;Editing Basics&quot; training from Assignment 1.

Week 10
Complete revisions and  e-mail Dr. Perkins with a request to review your draft article. In your email, include the link to your sandbox and notes about where your draft fits into the article you're trying to improve.

For a refresher on how to create sections, bullet-point lists, links, citations etc, repeat the &quot;Editing Basics&quot; training from Assignment 1.

Week 11
Complete revisions based on instructor feedback. For a refresher on how to create sections, bullet-point lists, links, citations etc, repeat the &quot;Editing Basics&quot; training from Assignment 1.

Week 12
Once you've made improvements to your article based on peer review and instructor feedback, it's time to move your work to Wikipedia proper - the &quot;mainspace.&quot;

'''Editing an existing article?

'''


 * NEVER copy and paste your draft of an article over the entire article. Instead, edit small sections at a time.
 * Copy your edits into the article. Make many small edits, saving each time, and leaving an edit summary. Never replace more than one to two sentences without saving!
 * Be sure to copy text from your sandbox while the sandbox page is in 'Edit' or 'Edit source' mode. This ensures that the formatting is transferred correctly.

'''Creating a new article?

'''


 * Read Editing Wikipedia page 13, and follow those steps to move your article from your Sandbox to Mainspace.
 * You can also review the Sandboxes and Mainspace online training.

Week 13
Do additional research and writing to make further improvements to your article, based on suggestions and your own critique.


 * Read Editing Wikipedia page 12 to see how to create links from your article to others, and from other articles to your own. Try to link to 3–5 articles, and link to your article from 2–3 other articles.
 * Consider adding an image to your article. Wikipedia has strict rules about what media can be added, so make sure to take the 'Contributing Images and Media Files' training before you upload an image.

Week 14

 * Prepare for an in-class presentation about your Wikipedia editing experience.

Continue to expand and improve your work, and format your article to match Wikipedia's tone and standards. Remember to contact your Content Expert at any time if you need further help!

Week 15
Present about your Wikipedia editing experience.

Consider the following questions as you reflect on your Wikipedia assignment:


 * Critiquing articles: What did you learn about Wikipedia during the article evaluation? How did you approach critiquing the article you selected for this assignment? How did you decide what to add to your chosen article?
 * Summarizing your contributions: include a summary of your edits and why you felt they were a valuable addition to the article. How does your article compare to earlier versions?
 * Peer Review: If your class did peer review, include information about the peer review process. What did you contribute in your review of your peers article? What did your peers recommend you change on your article?
 * Feedback: Did you receive feedback from other Wikipedia editors, and if so, how did you respond to and handle that feedback?
 * Wikipedia generally: What did you learn from contributing to Wikipedia? How does a Wikipedia assignment compare to other assignments you've done in the past? How can Wikipedia be used to improve public understanding of our field/your topic? Why is this important?

Week 16
It's the final week to develop your article.


 * Read Editing Wikipedia page 15 to review a final check-list before completing your assignment.
 * Don't forget that you can ask for help from your Content Expert at any time!

Write a reflective essay (5 pages) on your Wikipedia contributions.

Consider the following questions as you reflect on your Wikipedia assignment:


 * Critiquing articles: What did you learn about Wikipedia during the article evaluation? How did you approach critiquing the article you selected for this assignment? How did you decide what to add to your chosen article?
 * Summarizing your contributions: include a summary of your edits and why you felt they were a valuable addition to the article. How does your article compare to earlier versions?
 * Peer Review: If your class did peer review, include information about the peer review process. What did you contribute in your review of your peers article? What did your peers recommend you change on your article?
 * Feedback: Did you receive feedback from other Wikipedia editors, and if so, how did you respond to and handle that feedback?
 * Wikipedia generally: What did you learn from contributing to Wikipedia? How does a Wikipedia assignment compare to other assignments you've done in the past? How can Wikipedia be used to improve public understanding of our field/your topic? Why is this important?