Wikipedia Improvement Assignment

Wikipedia is upon us, and it has become the first stop for most people’s fact-based questions about history. Instead of fighting this open-source challenge to the authority of documented expertise, I think we should buy in to the model. The entries are flawed, but people use them anyway, so let’s make them better.

The process works like this:

1. Log on to wikipedia.org and become a member. This takes about five minutes. UNFORTUNATELY: Wikipedia only allows six accounts to be created per day, per IP address. So only six students can create a wiki account per day, if they are on Simpson's network. Consequently, we will make a schedule to stagger these out.
2. Find an entry with some problems. Look for factual omissions or inaccuracies. NOTE: Make sure that it is not a “protected page.” These require special permissions to modify.
3. Write a critique of the entry you selected. Give a brief overview of the topic and explain what drew you to it. Then describe what you consider to be the flaws in the entry you selected. This critique should be 2-3 pages in length, and it should include citations for the sources you consulted to detect these flaws. IMPORTANT: This should take some time since you will need to consult at least one scholarly source in order to develop your ideas about what information the entry ought to include.
4. Print a “before” version of the entry that you intend to correct. Highlight the flawed portions you describe in your critique.
5. Make at least 100 words worth of changes. This may include the insertion of entirely new paragraphs or the sprinkling of sentences here and there. You should remove erroneous material, but you may not count deletions towards your 100. To start making changes, go to the entry and click on the word EDIT in the upper right hand corner of the text field.
6. Reflect on the process of wikipedia editing. This reflection should be about two pages in length. Write about whatever you wish, but make sure it addresses the following: What do you think about wikipedia as a resource? What is a good way to use wikipedia? What is a bad way? Finally, what do you think of yourself as a scholar/editor/contributor?
7. Submit the printed version of your critique (2-3 pages), reflection (2 pages), and the “before” version of the entry you edited (if it is a long entry, please cut the size down so it is not huge) to me. Include your wikipedia user name. When I read these, I will log on to wikipedia to see if your changes are posted.

To modify this assignment to fit a certain course, set some topical parameters for step 2 and/or source requirements of step 3.