Wikipedia – the missing link in science outreach?

Siv Midtun Hollup

Department of InformaticsUniversity of Bergen

29.10.2009

Googling

Site Hits Percentage

en.wikipedia.org 5266 97%species.wikimedia.org 2934 54%animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu 2890 53%commons.wikimedia.org 1515 28%www.itis.gov 1418 26%ctd.mdibl.org 1288 24%www.bioone.org 1101 20%www.uniprot.org 1086 20%encyclopedia.farlex.com 1007 19%www.thewebsiteofeverything.com 955 17%

iphylo.blogspot.com/2009/09/google-wikipedia-and-eol.html

Page ranking

iphylo.blogspot.com/2009/09/google-wikipedia-and-eol.html

The war of the encyclopedias

Internet encyclopaedias go head to head, J. Giles, Nature 438, 2005

Can the Wikipedia be used as a citation source?

No...

Can the Wikipedia be used as a citation source?

No...

What can Wikipedia do for you?

• Overview of research fields

• Good introductions to specific subjects

• References

• Overview of disputed questions

• Bridge gap between research and books

What can Wikipedia do for you?

• Overview of research fields

• Good introductions to specific subjects

• References

• Overview of disputed questions

• Bridge gap between research and books

What can Wikipedia do for you?

• Overview of research fields

• Good introductions to specific subjects

• References

• Overview of disputed questions

• Bridge gap between research and books

What can Wikipedia do for you?

• Overview of research fields

• Good introductions to specific subjects

• References

• Overview of disputed questions

• Bridge gap between research and books

What can Wikipedia do for you?

• Overview of research fields

• Good introductions to specific subjects

• References

• Overview of disputed questions

• Bridge gap between research and books

What can you do for Wikipedia?

• Overview articles

• Detailed explanations ofspecific concepts

• Updated references topapers and books

What can you do for Wikipedia?

• Overview articles

• Detailed explanations ofspecific concepts

• Updated references topapers and books

What can you do for Wikipedia?

• Overview articles

• Detailed explanations ofspecific concepts

• Updated references topapers and books

What can Wikipedia do for you?

• Information on your research field for others

• Improve outreach and teaching skills

• Relevant coursework for students

• Add knowledge to public domain

What can Wikipedia do for you?

• Information on your research field for others

• Improve outreach and teaching skills

• Relevant coursework for students

• Add knowledge to public domain

What can Wikipedia do for you?

• Information on your research field for others

• Improve outreach and teaching skills

• Relevant coursework for students

• Add knowledge to public domain

What can Wikipedia do for you?

• Information on your research field for others

• Improve outreach and teaching skills

• Relevant coursework for students

• Add knowledge to public domain

Case study

• Evaluation?

• Which Wikipedia?

• Which contributions?

Case study

• Evaluation?

• Which Wikipedia?

• Which contributions?

Case study

• Evaluation?

• Which Wikipedia?

• Which contributions?

Things to think about

• Audience

• Point of view

• Language and terms

• Structure of the article

• References and sources

• Examples

Things to think about

• Audience

• Point of view

• Language and terms

• Structure of the article

• References and sources

• Examples

Things to think about

• Audience

• Point of view

• Language and terms

• Structure of the article

• References and sources

• Examples

Things to think about

• Audience

• Point of view

• Language and terms

• Structure of the article

• References and sources

• Examples

Things to think about

• Audience

• Point of view

• Language and terms

• Structure of the article

• References and sources

• Examples

Things to think about

• Audience

• Point of view

• Language and terms

• Structure of the article

• References and sources

• Examples

Beware

• No references

• Subjective text

• Anonymous contributions

• Publish results

• Copyright and licencing

Beware

• No references

• Subjective text

• Anonymous contributions

• Publish results

• Copyright and licencing

Beware

• No references

• Subjective text

• Anonymous contributions

• Publish results

• Copyright and licencing

Beware

• No references

• Subjective text

• Anonymous contributions

• Publish results

• Copyright and licencing

Beware

• No references

• Subjective text

• Anonymous contributions

• Publish results

• Copyright and licencing

Wikipedia in teaching?

• Outreach for PhD students

• Contributing to articles in advanced courses

• Verification of references

• Searching for references

Wikipedia in teaching?

• Outreach for PhD students

• Contributing to articles in advanced courses

• Verification of references

• Searching for references

Wikipedia in teaching?

• Outreach for PhD students

• Contributing to articles in advanced courses

• Verification of references

• Searching for references

Wikipedia in teaching?

• Outreach for PhD students

• Contributing to articles in advanced courses

• Verification of references

• Searching for references

Wikimedia Foundation

Acknowledgements

• Edvin Fuglebakk

• Anne-Kristin Stavrum

• Pawel Sztromwasser

• Suse Balzer

• Havard Henriksen