The document discusses the challenges of designing a collaborative online reference source for South African literature called the ESAACH Wiki. It analyzes existing print and online reference works to understand different levels of participation, from a traditional editorial model to an open wiki. A comparison of entries in several reference works shows how they vary in coverage, detail, length, accuracy and bibliographies. The document suggests expanding ESAACH's coverage of women writers, African languages, Afrikaans literature and the African press to develop it as a learning resource.

1. The challenge of designing a
collaborative reference source for
South African Literature – the
ESAACH Wiki
Graham Stewart
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2. Introduction
• Specialised literary encyclopaedias in general,
and the online variety in particular, are
problematic as reliable guides to literary history.
• A moderated model with clear guidelines for
contributors may minimise problems and support
scholarship in South African literature.
• This paper aims to clarify the challenge through a
comparative analysis of existing reference works.
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3. Some definitions
• Encyclopaedias are tertiary information sources
– springboards to primary and secondary works
– “the Reader’s Digest of deep knowledge”.
• Wikis are associated with the open access
movement
– commons-based peer production (CBPP)
– community editing model
– crowdsourcing
– collaborative writing
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4. The ESAACH Project and why a Wiki?
• ESAACH
– promotes the creation, teaching and dissemination of
literature, visual and performing arts by providing
“reference material otherwise lacking on the subject,
which can also be of use in schools.”
• Distinction between
– a collaborative publication, where contributors’
individual entries or essays are subject to editorial
control.
– collaboratively-written entries (e.g. Wikipedia).
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5. How open should the ESAACH wiki be?
• Currently a conservative approach to
collaboration
– content largely inherited from SALIT project
– participation limited to selected academics
associated with the project
– survey of users to gauge opinions
• Three possible levels of participation
– a traditional print editorial model at one extreme
– an open, un-moderated model at the other
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6. Can a Wiki do literary history?
• Rosenzweig (2006) – “one reason professional
historians need to pay attention to Wikipedia
is because our students do”.
• Subscription-based resources limit access to
knowledge.
• Comparison of print and online reference
works may clarify the challenge.
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7. Comparison of entries in reference works
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8. Comparison of entries in reference
works
• Adey, Beeton, Chapman and Pereira’s Companion to South African English
Literature, 1986 (Adey’s Companion)
• Killam and Rowe’s The Companion to African Literatures, 2000 (Killam’s
Companion)
• The Dictionary of South African Biography, Volume 3, 1977 (DSAB)
• Joyce’s A Concise Dictionary of South African Biography, 1999 (Concise
DSAB)
• South African History Online (SAHO)
• Encyclopaedia of South African Arts, Culture and Heritage (ESAACH)
• Wikipedia
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9. Comparison of entries in reference works
• Reference • Writers • Criteria
works – Perceval Gibbon – Coverage
– Adey’s – – Level of detail
Can Themba
Companion – Article length
– Dennis Brutus
– Killam’s – Factual
Companion – Sindiwe Magona accuracy
– DSAB – Farida Karodia – Style of
– Concise DSAB writing
– SAHO – References
– ESAACH and
– Wikipedia bibliographies
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10. Future directions in ESAACH
• Women writers
• African Languages
• Afrikaans
• Role of the African press
• Learning materials development
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11. ESAACH wiki user overview
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12. ESAACH wiki user overview
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