Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Rutgers/Sex in the Tree of Life- the Evolution and persistence of sexual reproduction (Fall 2016)

In this course we'll be learning about what sex is, how it started, and why it sticks around.

The information available in public access sources is often limited by what people volunteer to write about. This means there is lots of information on sex in large, cute, animal creatures (800+ words on bonobo sexual behavior) but very little on other creatures (&lt;20 words on slime mold sex), which have equally fascinating reproductive lives. Furthermore, often evolutionary processes which are equally at work in plants and animals, protists and bacteria, birds and bees, are often only referenced for charismatic mega-fauna.

Wikipedia is the first stop for information for everyone from undergraduates to law makers. Making information available that is representative of the diversity in the natural world is an important task. You'll take on one small piece of this communal task during the course of this class. Enjoy!

Week 1
Welcome to your Wikipedia project's course timeline. This page will guide you through the Wikipedia project for your course.

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. Steps are broken down by week; assignments are due by 2pm on the Tuesday of the week.

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.

To get started, please review the following handouts:


 * Editing Wikipedia pages 1–5
 * Evaluating Wikipedia


 * Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you.
 * 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.
 * When you finish the trainings, practice by introducing yourself to a classmate on that classmate’s Talk page.

This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.

Week 2
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 &quot;Evaluating Articles and Sources&quot; training (linked below).
 * Choose an article in the fields of ecology, evolution, or gender / sexuality, 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 biased toward a particular position?
 * Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias 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. Be sure to sign your feedback with four tildes — Jblakemahmud (talk) 16:45, 6 December 2016 (UTC).

Now that you're thinking about what makes a &quot;good&quot; Wikipedia article, consider some additional questions.


 * Wikipedians often talk about &quot;content gaps.&quot; What do you think a content gap is, and what are some possible ways to identify them?
 * What are some reasons a content gap might arise? What are some ways to remedy them?
 * Does it matter who writes Wikipedia?
 * What does it mean to be &quot;unbiased&quot; on Wikipedia? How is that different, or similar, to your own definition of &quot;bias&quot;?

Week 3
You will be contributing to / creating a wikipedia article to fill a gap in content. The best article to write lies at the intersection of a topic you find interesting and a gap in the content available on wikipedia.

For more information on the project, please check out the project description and rubric on Sakai.

Please submit to your professor a list of three possible topics of interest. At least one of these should be from the available article list. You are also encouraged to suggest your own topic for research, using the &quot;suggested topic&quot; page found on sakai. You many suggest up to two topics.

You should add a small contribution to an article related to your class, or add a citation to a claim that doesn't have one. You may chose to add to the article you critiqued or to another article on a specific species or phenomena.


 * Complete the &quot;Sources and Citations&quot; training (linked below).
 * The Citation Hunt tool can show you some statements that don't have citations. You can use that to find an article to reference.
 * When you make a small claim, clearly state the fact in your own words, and then cite the source where you found the information.

Week 4

 * 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 website as the main source of information about that company?
 * What is the difference between a copyright violation and plagiarism?
 * What are some good techniques to avoid close paraphrasing and plagiarism?

You'll want to 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 &quot;Free image&quot; or &quot;free stock photo&quot; 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.

It's time to choose an article and assign it to yourself. You have sent you professor three potential topics of interest and received some feedback. Now select a topic for your project.


 * 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.
 * 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.

Week 5
Unlike opinion essays, Wikipedia articles are based on facts. This factual information should come from a variety of reliable sources.


 * Compile a list of relevant, reliable books, journal articles, or other sources.  This initial list should include a minimum of six sources.  Of these eight sources, at least one must be a peer-reviewed journal article and one must be from a book not on our reading list.
 * Read these sources and write a 1-2 sentence summary of the main points made by the author.
 * 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 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.

Do you have the information you need to write or improve your article? If not, look for more sources. Remember, Ms. Todorinova, Mr Ramjohn, and Prof. Blake-Mahmud are here to help.

Resources: Editing Wikipedia pages 7–9

Everyone has a draft of their article.


 * What do you think of Wikipedia's definition of &quot;neutrality&quot;?
 * 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?

Week 7

 * First, take the &quot;Peer Review&quot; online training.
 * Select two classmates’ articles that you will peer review and copyedit. On the Articles tab, find the articles that you want to review, and then assign them to yourself in the Review column.
 * Peer review your classmates' drafts. Leave suggestions on on the Talk page of the article, or sandbox, that your fellow student is working on. Other editors may be reviewing your work, so look for their comments! Be sure to acknowledge feedback from other Wikipedians.
 * As you review, make spelling, grammar, and other adjustments. Pay attention to the tone of the article. Is it encyclopedic?

If you'd like a Content Expert to review your draft, now is the time! Click the &quot;Get Help&quot; button in your sandbox to request notes.

Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.

Week 8
You probably have some feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians. It's time to work with that feedback 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 Content Expert if you have any questions.

Week 9
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.

Once you've made improvements to your article based on peer review 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!***

'''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 10
By the time you return from Thanksgiving, your draft should be 98% complete and ready for final grading.

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 11
It's your last chance to develop your article.


 * Read Editing Wikipedia page 15 to review a final check-list before completing your assignment.

Article is due by 2pm on Tuesday Nov 29th

Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading. Articles uploaded after 2pm on Tuesday November 29th are late.

Week 12

 * Write a reflective essay (900-1100 words) on your Wikipedia contributions. See Sakai for more information on the assignment.

'''Essay is due by 2 pm on Tuesday December 13th PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE FROM THE SYLLABUS'''

Points to consider when writing your essay: - How has your understanding of public, open source information changed? - Why is it important to give attribution and proper citation for sources? - What guidelines did you consider when deciding what information to include or how to explain a concept? - How do you evaluate the worthiness or accuracy of sources? - How has your view of Wikipedia changed over the course of the project? - What parts of the project did you find especially interesting? especially difficult?