Hi all,

I’m a graduate student at Harvard working on a 2 week mini-course about Wikipedia in January 2021! It’s part workshop (practical info, accounts, how to write articles, etc.) and seminar (discussions on what does it mean to write for an encyclopedia, what should academics be doing, is it fun?!). It’s open to graduate students and community members via zoom. I’ve been writing for wikipedia for a few years, but am trying to bring as many perspectives as possible from a wide variety of Wikipedians! 

I’m hoping to create a mini-panel comprised of Wikimedians in Residence to talk a bit about what it’s like and open a discussion. The tentative date is Thursday, January 21, 2021, time TBD (about an hour long). If you’d be interested in being on a panel, send me an email.

Thank you! 

Best, 

Bay ByrneSim
Doctoral Student
History of Art & Architecture | Harvard University 
baybyrnesim@g.harvard.edu 
Pronouns: she, her, hers 

Current blurb on the course:

Writing and Editing for Wikipedia

January@GSAS Mini-Course, Jan. 2020

Bay ByrneSim


Ever wondered why there’s no Wikipedia article for your favorite cheese or dinosaur? Curious about how standards of notability and editor demographics impact Wikipedia’s content? How can academics write for a generalist encyclopedia?


Join us! This J-term course is part workshop, part discussion. In the workshop, you’ll learn how to make a Wikipedia account, the standards and norms for writing and editing, and how you can contribute. Then we’ll actually do it. Edit, write, translate, upload media.


In the seminars, we’ll get meta. Speakers from around the world, from Wikimedians-in-Residence to Harvard librarians and copyright experts will give brief talks, then open up discussion on a particular topic. Curious about how Wikipedia inspired author Mary Mann during COVID-19? Want to know about Houghton’s presence on Wikipedia? What’s the relationship between academic research and public outreach?


The workshop will meet via Zoom for up to 2 hours a day during J-term. If you have questions about access or would like to request accommodations, please contact Bay or GSAS. The course is capped at 15 participants who identify as new users to ensure that each can receive individual attention. Feel free to come to sessions as interest and time allows. If you’re already an experienced editor, drop by seminars to share your experiences, join the workshops for communal editing time or to help newer users, or email me at baybyrnesim@g.harvard.edu if you want to lead a seminar or workshop!