The document discusses using Wikipedia to improve science outreach and communication. It provides examples of how researchers can contribute to Wikipedia by writing overview articles on their fields of research, providing detailed explanations of concepts, and ensuring articles have updated references. The document outlines things for researchers to consider when contributing, such as audience and language. It also provides tips for writing for Wikipedia, including following syntax conventions and writing in a factual tone.

1. Wikipedia – the missing link in science outreach?
Siv Midtun Hollup
Department of Informatics
University of Bergen
04.10.2010

2. What we did last summer

3. What we did last summer
Page Visits May 2010 Vists Nov 2009
Protein 3103 6143
Gen 1683 1355
Hemoglobin 1222 1510
Statistisk signifikans 906 308
Intron 181 109
DNA-sekvensering 170 79
DNA mikromatrise 137 106
Ekson 120 89
Bioinformatikk 107 157
Spleising 74 76
Genuttrykksprofilering 62 58
Sekvenssammenstilling 61 47
Morfogen 55 29
Blast 51 42
Gennettverk 47 18

4. Just Google It
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

5. Page ranking
iphylo.blogspot.com/2009/09/google-wikipedia-and-eol.html
Medical terms: MR Laurent et.al, 2009

6. The war of the encyclopedias
Internet encyclopaedias go head to head, J. Giles, Nature 438, 2005

7. Can the Wikipedia be used as a citation source?

8. Can the Wikipedia be used as a citation source?
No...

9. What can Wikipedia do for you?
• Overview of research fields

10. What can Wikipedia do for you?
• Overview of research fields
• Good introductions to specific subjects

11. What can Wikipedia do for you?
• Overview of research fields
• Good introductions to specific subjects
• References

12. What can Wikipedia do for you?
• Overview of research fields
• Good introductions to specific subjects
• References
• Overview of disputed questions

13. 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

14. 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
• Connect related concepts

15. What can you do for Wikipedia?
• Overview articles

16. What can you do for Wikipedia?
• Overview articles
• Detailed explanations of
specific concepts

17. What can you do for Wikipedia?
• Overview articles
• Detailed explanations of
specific concepts
• Updated references to
papers and books

18. What can Wikipedia do for you?
• Information on your research field for others

19. What can Wikipedia do for you?
• Information on your research field for others
• Improve outreach and teaching skills

20. What can Wikipedia do for you?
• Information on your research field for others
• Improve outreach and teaching skills
• Relevant coursework for students

21. 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

22. Things to think about
• Evaluation?

23. Things to think about
• Evaluation?
• Which Wikipedia?

24. Things to think about
• Evaluation?
• Which Wikipedia?
• Which contributions?

25. Things to think about
• Evaluation?
• Which Wikipedia?
• Which contributions?
• Audience

26. Things to think about
• Evaluation?
• Which Wikipedia?
• Which contributions?
• Audience
• Point of view

27. Things to think about
• Evaluation?
• Which Wikipedia?
• Which contributions?
• Audience
• Point of view
• Language and terms

28. Things to think about
• Evaluation?
• Which Wikipedia?
• Which contributions?
• Audience
• Point of view
• Language and terms
• Structure of the article

29. Things to think about
• Evaluation?
• Which Wikipedia?
• Which contributions?
• Audience
• Point of view
• Language and terms
• Structure of the article
• References and sources

30. Things to think about
• Evaluation?
• Which Wikipedia?
• Which contributions?
• Audience
• Point of view
• Language and terms
• Structure of the article
• References and sources
• Examples

31. Do Not Do
• No references

32. Do Not Do
• No references
• Subjective text

33. Do Not Do
• No references
• Subjective text
• Anonymous contributions

34. Do Not Do
• No references
• Subjective text
• Anonymous contributions
• Publish results

35. Do Not Do
• No references
• Subjective text
• Anonymous contributions
• Publish results
• Copyright and licencing

36. Wikipedia in teaching
• Outreach for PhD students

37. Wikipedia in teaching
• Outreach for PhD students
• Contributing to articles in advanced courses

38. Wikipedia in teaching
• Outreach for PhD students
• Contributing to articles in advanced courses
• Verification of references

39. Wikipedia in teaching
• Outreach for PhD students
• Contributing to articles in advanced courses
• Verification of references
• Searching for references

40. Wikimedia Foundation

41. References
• J Giles, Internet encyclopedias go head to head, Nature 438, 2005
• MR Laurent et al., Seeking Health Information Online: Does
Wikipedia Matter?, Journal of the American Medical Informatics
Association 18, 2009
• KL Callis et al., Improving Wikipedia: educational opportunity and
professional responsibility, Trend Ecol. Evol. 24, 2009
• I M¨hlhauser et al., Does WIKIPEDIA provide evidence-based
u
health care information? A content analysis, Z Evid Fortbild Qual
Gesundhwes 102, 2008

42. Writing tips: Keep It Simple, Stupid
• One sentence – one point

43. Writing tips: Keep It Simple, Stupid
• One sentence – one point
• Each word counts

44. Writing tips: Keep It Simple, Stupid
• One sentence – one point
• Each word counts
• Write as you speak

45. Writing tips: Keep It Simple, Stupid
• One sentence – one point
• Each word counts
• Write as you speak
• Write with no room for misunderstadings

46. Writing tips: Keep It Simple, Stupid
• One sentence – one point
• Each word counts
• Write as you speak
• Write with no room for misunderstadings
• Edit the text many times in intervals

47. About words: short and sweet
Bad examples: Good examples:
in order to to
the reason why is that because
decreased number of fewer
based on the fact that because
round in shape round
has been shown to be is
a great number of times often
despite the fact that although
it is interesting to note that eliminate

48. Context, context context!
• What is the context?

49. Context, context context!
• What is the context?
• What does your audience know?

50. Context, context context!
• What is the context?
• What does your audience know?
• What is the story?

51. Context, context context!
• What is the context?
• What does your audience know?
• What is the story?
• Can you summarise in one sentence?

52. Writing for Wikipedia
• Syntax: naming and formatting of dates, names, species,
institutions etc.

53. Writing for Wikipedia
• Syntax: naming and formatting of dates, names, species,
institutions etc.
• Grammer: Tense, active/passive

54. Writing for Wikipedia
• Syntax: naming and formatting of dates, names, species,
institutions etc.
• Grammer: Tense, active/passive
• Presenting the whole picture

55. Writing for Wikipedia
• Syntax: naming and formatting of dates, names, species,
institutions etc.
• Grammer: Tense, active/passive
• Presenting the whole picture
• Read good and featured articles

56. References
• http://www.sfedit.net/newsletters.htm Writing tips
for papers
• ML Buddle and DR Wood, Mathematical Writing in English,
2006
• Wikipedia Manual of Style: http:
//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style
• How to edit Wikipedia:
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/How_to_edit_a_page

57. Getting started with Wikipedia
1. Create user account

58. Getting started with Wikipedia
1. Create user account
2. Log in

59. Getting started with Wikipedia
1. Create user account
2. Log in
3. Edit page and view in preview or Sandbox

60. Getting started with Wikipedia
1. Create user account
2. Log in
3. Edit page and view in preview or Sandbox
4. Write commit message describing your changes

61. Getting started with Wikipedia
1. Create user account
2. Log in
3. Edit page and view in preview or Sandbox
4. Write commit message describing your changes
5. Save your changes