"Improving Wikipedia: educational opportunity and professional
responsibility."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19269059
Trends Ecol Evol. 2009 Mar 5
Callis KL, Christ LR, Resasco J, Armitage DW, Ash JD, Caughlin TT, Clemmensen SF, Copeland
SM, Fullman TJ, Lynch RL, Olson C, Pruner RA, Vieira-Neto EH, West-Singh R, Bruna EM;
Graduate Seminar in Plant-Animal Interactions, Department of Wildlife Ecology and
Conservation, University of Florida
'As part of a graduate seminar on plant–animal interactions, we set out to assess the
quality and content of Wikipedia entries with an ecological focus. To do so, we critiqued
entries on five major categories of plant–animal interactions: frugivory, herbivory,
pollination, granivory and seed dispersal. We found that the entries were generally
limited in both breadth and depth, included only cursory lists of citations and
occasionally devoted attention to topics that were at best marginally relevant (one
memorable example was the discussion of ‘fruitarians’ – people who consciously adopt a
strictly frugivorous diet – in the entry on frugivory).'
'We found the process straightforward and efficient, particularly once we learned the
protocol for proposing and implementing changes. Editing was also simplified by adhering
to Wikipedia’s clearly established framework for page organization, reference management
and the inclusion of tables and pictures...We were occasionally frustrated by interactions
with an intransigent author who rapidly and repeatedly reverted our revisions – something
that might be common when editing entries on controversial topics. However, we nonetheless
found the experience to be rewarding, similar in scope and time commitment to writing a
more traditional term paper (Figure 1) and extremely valuable as an exercise in critical
thinking and communication skills.'
'Although we recognize that the time, professional incentives and public recognition
for doing so are limited, we believe that improvements to this now ubiquitous reference
source are particularly important given the increasingly public debates on ecological and
evolutionary topics. The revision of Wikipedia entries can easily be incorporated into
undergraduate and graduate courses, the service activities of student organizations,
laboratory meetings, extension programs and the annual meetings of professional
societies.'
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gwern