Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone. It operates using wiki software, which allows users to freely edit and compose web page content through a web browser. Wikipedia is written collaboratively by volunteers worldwide and provides a quick understanding of various topics, though it should only be used as a starting point for research due to the lack of refereeing of articles. The goal of Wikipedia is to have 250,000 articles in every language spoken by at least 1 million people. It is funded through donations and operates on a non-profit basis.

1. Wikipedia: the inside story
Andrea Rankin, June 2007

2. What is a Wiki?
The simplest online database that could possibly work
(‘wiki wiki’ means ‘rapidly’ in the Hawaiian language).
Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to
freely create and edit web page content using any web
browser.
Open editing encourages democratic use of the Web
and promotes content composition by non technical
users.

3. What is Wikipedia?
 A free content, multilingual encyclopedia
written collaboratively by contributors around
the world
 The site is a Wiki - anybody can edit and add
to an article. Offers quick understanding on
controversial issues. Strong in current affairs.
(Google search: define: Wikipedia)

4. What isn’t Wikipedia?
 It is not an archive (it was decided that
poems and other literary works were not
suited to Wikipedia)

5. Wikipedia’s dream
‘Imagine a world in which every single person on the
planet is given free access to the sum of all human
knowledge. That's what we're doing.’
(Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia,
Masters in Finance, and nearly a PhD)
Goal: 250,000 articles in every language
spoken natively by at least 1m people
(ie 347 languages)

6. How and why it works
Operates on an open society basis, where
people trust each other!
 Written by 1000s of volunteers in all languages
 Run by a non profit organisation – Wikipedia Foundation
 Wikipedia will spend $2-3m in 2007 – all donations (mostly from
the USA)
 Cost to run Wikipedia - $25-30,000 per month in bandwidth
 See Margaret Fulton’s entry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Fulton

7. Free?
 Free access (if you have the internet)
 Free speech (although it is vigilantly
checked)
 Freedom to:
– copy
– modify
– redistribute commercially or non commercially

8. Popularity
 9th most popular site on the internet; 6th in
Germany; 12th in India, Japan and Iran
 2.23% use cnn.com every day, 6.19% use
Wikipedia every day
 2005-6 there was a big jump in popularity

9. How good is Wikipedia?
 A study compared Wikipedia with
Encyclopedia Britannica
– Wikipedia had an average of 4 errors per article
and Britannica 3
– Wikipedia followed up on errors after the study,
whereas Britannica just got defensive (according
to Jimmy Wales)

10. How should it be used by students?
 RESA Online discusses this
www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/learn/resaonline/
?
PATH=/Resources/LitReview/Methodology+i
n+the+social+sciences+and+humanities/&de
fault=Research+methodology+issues/Wikipe
dia+as+a+research+tool.htm
 Main point – articles are not refereed, so
Wikipedia should be a starting point only

11. Offshoots
Citizendium http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Main_Page
Aims to improve on the Wikipedia model by adding ‘gentle expert
oversight’ and requiring contributors to use their real names –
founded by an ex founder of Wikipedia, who was losing sleep at
night!
Uncyclopedia http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
Anonymous http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Anonymous
Kangaroo http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo

12. How can you create a wiki?
Use some free software and web space
eg Wikispaces www.wikispaces.com/
‘Create simple web pages that groups, friends, and
families can edit together’
 Pick a username
 Set your password
 Enter your email address

13. Wikis in universities
1. Education
2. Communication
 UniSA courses – for student assessment and
resources eg Information Architecture and Design
 Boston College student wikia (Wikia offers free
MediaWiki hosting for your community to build a
free content wiki-based website)
 CaseWiki – an encyclopedic reference about Case
Western Reserve University and its surroundings
 More examples: School and university projects
(Wikipedia)