Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/University of Massachusetts, Amherst/UNIV 190L - Demystifying Library Research

This course is an exploration of the process of college-level research. In this course, students will learn efficient and effective methods for managing &quot;information overload&quot; and for finding, using, evaluating, organizing, and presenting information.

The way that students will learn these skills will largely be through evaluating and editing Wikipedia articles. Wikipedia is a major secondary source for advanced research, used by both college students and scholars alike. By placing Wikipedia at the center of this course, students will gain an intimate understanding of how Wikipedia works and where this key information resource fits in the research process.

Week 1

 * Overview of the course.
 * Introduction to how Wikipedia will be used in the course.
 * Wikipedia is a community: a brief overview of its rules, expectations, and etiquette.

Week 2
Please complete the Editing Basics Training this week.

Part three of your Wikipedia training!


 * Basics of editing in Wikipedia.
 * Anatomy of Wikipedia articles, what makes a good article, how to distinguish between good and bad articles.
 * Collaborating and engaging with the Wiki editing community.

Week 3
This week, you'll be exploring topic areas, and you'll be introduced to the basics of the library catalog &amp; library databases.

We'll talk about scope and understanding the breadth and depth of your area of interest.

You'll have the opportunity to spend time in Wikipedia searching for a potential topic of interest. While you search, take note of:


 * Areas with missing information
 * Short articles
 * Articles with few references
 * The structure of Wikipedia articles

Your notes will help you figure out good candidates for the Wikipedia article you will edit!

Week 4

 * Planning your search
 * Developing strategies to find the information you need

Week 5

 * Different sources of information (e.g., popular, scholarly, &amp; trade publications)
 * Reading through a source to determine its relevance to you!
 * Citations

Week 6

 * Evaluating sources
 * Writing an annotated bibliography

Week 7

 * How to manage information you've collected -- including how to avoid plagiarism and the importance of citing.
 * Begin working on your article!

Week 8

 * Continue your research
 * Means of presenting information

Week 9

 * Improve your article
 * Visual literacy
 * DUE 3/29: Annotated Bibliography!

Please complete the Wikipedia training on contributing images and media to Wikipedia.

Week 10

 * Move your article from your sandbox to Wikipedia mainspace.
 * Discussion of the concepts of neutrality, media literacy, and the impact and limits of Wikipedia.

Please complete the sandboxes and mainspace training.

Week 11

 * Continue revising your article
 * Complete peer review training
 * Review one of your classmate's articles

Week 12

 * Continue to improve articles.
 * Peer review #2

Week 13

 * Add final touches to your Wikipedia article.


 * Reflect on your research process and how you've grown as a lifelong learner. See Assignment page in Moodle for more detailed information!

Week 14
'''Please have everything in to me by 11:55PM, May 5, 2016.

'''This include your Wikipedia article edits and your cumulative reflection.

Final examinations this year: April 28: Reading Day April 29: Final examinations begin May 1: Second reading day May 2: Final examinations resume May 5: Last day of final examinations, semester ends.