Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Texas State University/Introduction to public administration (Fall 2016)

Course description: The organization and management of the machinery for executing public policies, with particular emphasis upon the Federal bureaucracy.

Week 1
Welcome to the Wikipedia project's course timeline.

This page will guide you through the Wikipedia project for your course. It breaks down writing a Wikipedia article into a series of steps, or milestones. You should use the information contained here in conjunction with the assignment descriptions on our TRACS page.

This week, please review the following readings:


 * Wikipedia group research project overview (located on TRACS under &quot;assignemnts/wikipedia group research project overview)
 * Theories: Wikipedia and the Production of Knowledge


 * Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you.
 * Assignment instructions are located on our TRACS page.
 * Be sure to complete before coming to class on 9/16.

This week, everyone should gain a basic understanding of the project and how it fits into the course, have a Wikipedia account, and be enrolled on our course page.

Week 2
This week you'll start working as part of a team. We'll begin by discussing what research tells us about groups, including the process of becoming a team. In class, you will develop a team charter--a document that sets forth your group's goals and expectations about participation and performance.

This week, please review the following readings:


 * All teamwork readings are posted on our TRACS page.

The team charter is completed during class by the entire team and initialed by each team member to indicate she or he is in agreement with the expectations delineated in the charter. For specific instructions on drafting the team charter, view the assignment description on TRACS.

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


 * Find an article from the list of available articles on TRACS and sign up for it.
 * After you have signed up  for an article on TRACS, go to the Articles tab on this course page, find your article on the list of &quot;Available Articles&quot; and Select to assign it to yourself.
 * Be sure to complete this assignment before class on 9/23.

All students have selected an article that they want to research and have met with their teams to discuss group expectations.

Week 3
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.

Now that the project is officially underway, you should make a habit of signing in to Wikipedia before you begin any work. If you don’t login, your contributions are not linked to your Wikipedia user id and could result in you not receiving credit for the assignment.

Our course has 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.

This week, please review the following handouts:


 * Editing Wikipedia

Everyone has completed 2 of the online training sessions and practiced editing.

Week 4
It's time to think critically about Wikipedia articles. This week, you'll evaluate your Wikipedia article, and make suggestions for improving it on your sandbox.

Before completing the article evaluation assignment, be sure to:


 * Complete the trainings &quot;Evaluating Articles and Sources&quot; and &quot;Sandboxes and Mainspace&quot; (linked below).
 * Read Evaluating Wikipedia.

After reading &quot;Evaluating Wikipedia&quot; and completing the online trainings, &quot;Evaluating Articles and Sources&quot; and &quot;Sandboxes and Mainspace,&quot; evaluate the quality of your existing Wikipedia article.

Consider some questions below (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?

Once you have evaluated the article, leave your comments on your Wikipedia sandbox. Be sure to begin your entry with the heading: &quot;Article evaluation.&quot;

Week 5
On Wikipedia, all material must be attributable to reliable, published sources. What kinds of sources does this exclude? 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 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?

Week 6
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.


 * 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.
 * Use the heading &quot;Annotated bibliography.&quot;

Week 8
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.
 * 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.

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

Week 9
at this point all teams have a clear game plan on how to proceed

feedback from me. sign up in class for date (either 11/9 or 11/11).

Week 10
Before moving your work to Wikipedia proper - the &quot;mainspace&quot; keep in mind the following advice on 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!

all groups have begun editing their article and placed edits on articles mainspace

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


 * Keep working on transforming your article into a complete first draft. Get draft ready for peer-review.
 * 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.
 * 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.

Week 11

 * First, take the &quot;Peer Review&quot; online training.
 * Select a classmates’ article that you will peer review and copyedit. On the Articles tab, find the article that you want to review, and then assign it to yourself in the Review column.
 * Peer review your classmate's draft. Leave suggestions 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?

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

Week 12
Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.

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


 * 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.
 * Re-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.
 * Re-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!

Week 13

 * on either 12/5 or 12/7
 * Present about your Wikipedia editing experience.