wikipedia basics

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CIPR Social Summer #ciprsm, 21 June 2012

Wikipedia 101: The basics

by Paul Wilkinson (@EEPaul)BA PhD, DipPR, FCIPR

CIPR Approved Trainer

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© pwcom.co.uk 20122

Welcome and introductions

Wikis and Wikimedia projects

What is Wikipedia?

The Five Pillars of Wikipedia

The Core Content Policies

The CIPR Wikipedia best practice guidelines

Editing Wikipedia

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Introductions

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Wiki

… a website which allows its users to add, modify, or delete its content via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a rich-text editor

First Wiki created in 1994 by Ward Cunningham

Wiki = Hawaiian for "fast" or "quick"

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Wikiprojects

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What is Wikipedia?

a free, collaboratively edited and multilingual Internet encyclopedia

supported by the Wikimedia Foundation 22 million articles c. 100,000 regularly active contributors launched in January 2001 by Jimmy

Wales and Larry Sanger runs on free, open source software

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Wikipedia in numbers

How many Wikipedias? 285

Global ranking on internet? 6th

Estimated number of readers? 365m

Total pageviews per month? 12bn

Articles in English edition 3.98m

Pageviews in USA per month? 2.8bn

Pageviews in UK per month? 632m

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Wikipedia in numbers

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1. Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia

It is not a soapbox, an advertising platform, a vanity press, an experiment in anarchy or democracy, an indiscriminate collection of information, or a web directory.

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2. Wikipedia is written from a neutral point of view

… explain the major points in a balanced and impartial manner... strive for verifiable accuracy... cite verifiable, authoritative sources ...

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3. Wikipedia is free content that anyone can edit, use, modify, and distribute

Respect copyright laws ... do not plagiarize sources … no editor owns any article ... all contributions can and will be mercilessly edited and redistributed.

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4. Editors should interact with each other in a respectful and civil manner

Respect and be polite ... Apply Wikipedia etiquette, avoid personal attacks and edit wars... Be open and welcoming, and assume good faith on the part of others.

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5. Wikipedia does not have firm rules

Rules … are not carved in stone ... wording and interpretation are likely to change over time. Be bold (but not reckless) in updating articles ... do not worry about making mistakes.

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Three principal core policies: neutral point of view verifiability no original research

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1. neutral point of view

All Wikipedia articles and other encyclopedic content must be written from a neutral point of view, representing significant views fairly, proportionately and without bias.

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2. verifiability

Material challenged or likely to be challenged, and all quotations, must be attributed to a reliable, published source.

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3. no original research

Wikipedia does not publish original thought: all material in Wikipedia must be attributable to a reliable, published source.

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Another important guideline

Notability

… a test used by editors to decide whether a topic can have its own article. Information on Wikipedia must be verifiable; if no reliable third-party sources can be found on a topic, then it should not have a separate article.

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Augment: FSA, ABPI, etc CIPR code of conduct CIPR social media

guidance

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Material in Wikipedia articles should be reference-quality information. Nothing else.

Besides the skills needed to write in that fashion, what is needed to participate successfully in the site is a set of social and collaborative talents.

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Ask for help Operate within the system Be honest and open at all times. Understand the complaints system Be patient and reasonable Use good judgement Handle conflict of interest

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Guide to Conflict of Interest on Wikipedia

Subjects require significant coverage in independent reliable sources.

Your role is to inform and reference, not promote or sell. Write without bias, as if you don't work for the company or personally

know the subject. State facts and statistics, don't be vague or general. Take time to get sources and policy right and your content will last. Be transparent about your conflict of interest Get neutral, uninvolved, disinterested editors to review your content Work with the community and we'll work with you. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

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Includes: A Step-by-Step Guide: How to improve

articles Dos Don'ts

To be published c. 27 June 2012

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Editing Wikipedia

Create user account (username policy)

Add some detail to your user page

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Editing Wikipedia



Each user also has a talk page

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Editing Wikipedia



Each user also has ...

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Practice drafting, editing here

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Set how you wantWikipedia interfaceto work

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Editing Wikipedia

Even a long watchlistdoesn't alwayshighlight lots of edits

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Your user contributionsare all viewable by otherWikipedia users

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Example article

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Editing example article

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Summariseyour editsbefore saving

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Revision historyalso gives accessto other useful data

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Contributors,User edits,No. of watchers- all helpful in identifying editors

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Number of views ofrecently createdexample article

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Editing

CIPR guide User Edit/save Discuss

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CIPR Social Summer #ciprsm, 21 June 2012

Thank you

Contact: Paul WilkinsonWebsite: www.pwcom.co.uk

Blog: www.blog.pwcom.co.ukEmail: [email protected]

Tel: +44 (0)20 8858 1104mob: 07788 445920Twitter: @EEPaulWikipedia: Paul W

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