21st-century Scholarship and Wikipedia | Ariadne

"Wikipedia, the world’s fifth most-used Web site [1], is a good illustration of the growing credibility of online resources. In his article in Ariadne earlier this year, “Wikipedia: Reflections on Use and Academic Acceptance” [2], Brian Whalley described the debates around accuracy and review, in the context of geology. He concluded that ‘If Wikipedia is the first port of call, as it already seems to be, for information requirement traffic, then there is a commitment to build on Open Educational Resources (OERs) of various kinds and improve their quality.’ In a similar approach to the Geological Society event that Whalley describes, Sarah Fahmy of JISC worked with Wikimedia and the British Library on a World War One (WWI) Editathon [3]. There is a rich discourse about the way that academics relate to Wikipedia. The EduWiki Conference in September 2012 [4] organised by Martin Poulter, brought together educators and Wikipedia authors to explore the ways that we can develop Wikipedia contribution and use. The relationship between OERs, open access, open academic practices and Wikipedia were very strong in the discussions, alongside issues surrounding digital literacy as well as citation and referencing practices. Wikipedia has made it very clear that as a reference work it should not be quoted as a primary source within academic work [5]. I presented on 21st-century Scholarship and the role of Wikipedia. I find myself increasingly using the word ‘scholarship’ to encompass academic practice at its best, whether in teaching, research or public engagement. In this article I will focus on four key trends that link scholarship and Wikipedia. The full slidedeck and poster are also available [6]..."