Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/Georgia State University/Refugees and Forced Migration (Spring 2018)
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- Course name
- Refugees and Forced Migration
- Institution
- Georgia State University
- Instructor
- Prof. Jennie Burnet
- Wikipedia Expert
- Adam (Wiki Ed)
- Subject
- Global Studies, anthropology, political science, public policy
- Course dates
- 2017-01-10 00:00:00 UTC – 2017-04-20 23:59:59 UTC
- Approximate number of student editors
- 15
This graduate seminar provides an understanding of forced migration processes (the complex causes, characteristics, and consequences of displacement) and of the “refugee problem” (how international policy-makers and scholars have constructed displacement as an object for analysis and action—and some of the consequences of this construction). The course will pay particular attention to the ways social relations and identities at various intersecting levels are influenced by displacement.
Assignment Overview
Graduate students enrolled in the course will research and write a Wikipedia article related to the content of this course. The Wikipedia Project consists of a series of assignments you will complete. Your final encyclopedia articles will be posted to Wikipedia. You will then write an analytical research paper on a similar topic.
Timeline
Week 1
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 17 January 2017 | Thursday, 19 January 2017
- In class - Introduction to the Wikipedia project
Welcome to your Wikipedia project's course timeline. This page will guide you through the Wikipedia project for your course. Be sure to check with your instructor to see if there are other pages you should be following as well.
This page breaks down writing a Wikipedia article into a series of steps, or milestones. These steps include online trainings to help you get started on Wikipedia.
Your course has also been assigned a Wikipedia Content Expert. Check your Talk page for notes from them. You can also reach them through the "Get Help" button on this page.
To get started, please review the following handouts:
- Editing Wikipedia pages 1–5
- Evaluating Wikipedia
- Assignment - Practicing the basics
- Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you.
- It's time to dive into Wikipedia. Below, you'll find the first set of online trainings you'll need to take. New modules will appear on this timeline as you get to new milestones. Be sure to check back and complete them! Incomplete trainings will be reflected in your grade.
- When you finish the trainings, practice by introducing yourself to a classmate on that classmate’s Talk page.
- Milestones
This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.
Week 2
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 24 January 2017 | Thursday, 26 January 2017
- Assignment - Choose possible topics
- Review page 6 of your Editing Wikipedia guidebook.
- Choose 3–5 potential articles that you can tackle, and post links to them on your Wikipedia user page. For articles that already exist, check the Talk page to see what other Wikipedians might be doing. Finally, present your choices to your instructor for feedback.
- Assignment - Review the rules for medical topics
If you may pick a topic related to medicine, human health, or psychology, review Wikipedia's rules for topics related to medicine, human health, and psychology.
Week 3
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 31 January 2017 | Thursday, 2 February 2017
- Assignment - Finalize your topic / Find your sources
- On the Students tab, assign your chosen topic to yourself.
- Compile a list of relevant, reliable books, journal articles, or other sources. Post that bibliography to the talk page of the article you'll be working on, and in your sandbox. Make sure to check in on the Talk page to see if anyone has advice on your bibliography.
- Assignment - Critique your chosen article
It's time to think critically about Wikipedia articles. You'll evaluate your chosen Wikipedia article, and leave suggestions for improving it on the article's Talk page.
- Complete the "Evaluating Articles and Sources" training (linked below).
- During your evaluation, consider the following questions (but don't feel limited to these):
- Is each fact referenced with an appropriate, reliable reference?
- Is everything in the article relevant to the article topic? Is there anything that distracted you?
- Is the article neutral? Are there any claims, or frames, that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
- Where does the information come from? Are these neutral sources? If biased, is that bias noted?
- Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
- Check a few citations. Do the links work? Is there any close paraphrasing or plagiarism in the article?
- Is any information out of date? Is anything missing that could be added?
- In your sandbox, write a few sentences about what you plan to contribute to the selected article. What did you learn during this article critique about what you can improve?
- Choose at least 2 questions relevant to the article you're evaluating. Leave your evaluation on the article's Talk page. Be sure to sign your feedback with four tildes — Rcgsu (talk) 01:32, 3 April 2017 (UTC).
Week 4
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 7 February 2017 | Thursday, 9 February 2017
- Assignment - Add to your article
Familiarize yourself with editing Wikipedia by adding a citation or making a small improvement to your article. There are a few ways you can do this:
- Add 1-2 sentences of new content to your article, and cite that statement to a reliable source, as you learned in the online training;
- Copyedit the article;
- Review the citations and references, updating or adding links where necessary;
- Re-write a poorly written sentence or paragraph, making sure to keep all the current links and references in tact.
Week 5
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 14 February 2017 | Thursday, 16 February 2017
- Assignment - Draft your article
You've picked a topic and found your sources. Now it's time to start writing.
Creating a new article?
- Write an outline of that topic in the form of a standard Wikipedia article's "lead section." Write it in your sandbox.
- A "lead" section is not a traditional introduction. It should summarize, very briefly, what the rest of the article will say in detail. The first paragraph should include important, broad facts about the subject. A good example is Ada Lovelace. See Editing Wikipedia page 9 for more ideas.
Improving an existing article?
- Identify what's missing from the current form of the article. Think back to the skills you learned while critiquing an article. Make notes for improvement in your sandbox.
Keep reading your sources, too, as you prepare to write the body of the article.
Resources: Editing Wikipedia pages 7–9
- Milestones
Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.
Week 6
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 21 February 2017 | Thursday, 23 February 2017
- Assignment - Peer review and copy edit
- First, take the "Peer Review" online training.
- Select two classmates’ articles that you will peer review and copyedit. On the Articles tab, find the articles that you want to review, and then assign them to yourself in the Review column.
- Peer review your classmates' drafts. Leave suggestions on on the Talk page of the article, or sandbox, that your fellow student is working on. Other editors may be reviewing your work, so look for their comments! Be sure to acknowledge feedback from other Wikipedians.
- As you review, make spelling, grammar, and other adjustments. Pay attention to the tone of the article. Is it encyclopedic?
P.S. Expert Help With Your Own Article
- If you'd like a Content Expert to review your draft, now is the time! Click the "Get Help" button in your sandbox to request notes.
- Milestones
Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.
Week 7
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 28 February 2017 | Thursday, 2 March 2017
- Assignment - Respond to your peer review
You probably have some feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians. It's time to work with that feedback to improve your article!
- Read Editing Wikipedia pages 12 and 14.
- Return to your draft or article and think about the suggestions. Decide which ones to start implementing. Reach out to your instructor or your Content Expert if you have any questions.
Week 8
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 7 March 2017 | Thursday, 9 March 2017
- Assignment - Begin moving your work to Wikipedia
Once you've made improvements to your article based on peer review feedback, it's time to move your work to Wikipedia proper - the "mainspace."
Editing an existing article?
- NEVER copy and paste your draft of an article over the entire article. Instead, edit small sections at a time.
- Copy your edits into the article. Make many small edits, saving each time, and leaving an edit summary. Never replace more than one to two sentences without saving!
Creating a new article?
- Read Editing Wikipedia page 13, and follow those steps to move your article from your Sandbox to Mainspace.
- You can also review the [[../../../training/students/sandboxes|Sandboxes and Mainspace]] online training.
Week 9
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 21 March 2017 | Thursday, 23 March 2017
- Assignment - Continue improving your article
Do additional research and writing to make further improvements to your article, based on suggestions and your own critique.
- Continue to expand and improve your work, and format your article to match Wikipedia's tone and standards. Remember to contact your Content Expert at any time if you need further help!
- Read Editing Wikipedia page 12 to see how to create links from your article to others, and from other articles to your own. Try to link to 3–5 articles, and link to your article from 2–3 other articles.
Week 10
- Course meetings
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- Tuesday, 28 March 2017 | Thursday, 30 March 2017
- Assignment - Final article
It's the final week to develop your article.
- Read Editing Wikipedia page 15 to review a final check-list before completing your assignment.
- Don't forget that you can ask for help from your Content Expert at any time!
- Assignment - Original analytical paper
- Write a paper going beyond your Wikipedia article to advance your own ideas, arguments, and original research about your topic.
- Milestones
Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.