While many of us usually go Wikipedia as a quick access to find facts, or a quick fact check, in the academic world it has been engraved in us that Wikipedia is not a reliable source of information. This is because of the mere fact that just anybody can create an account and edit the information that can be found. Now this can be seen as problematic and an unreliable source of information. However, the power in anyone being able to edit a Wikipedia page can also motivate one to become an expert on a particular topic in order to be able to give accurate information that will be disturbed to millions of people that utilize it.
Before this class, I had never thought of creating a Wikipedia account, yet alone editing a page. The first step to becoming a Wikipedia is simply creating account, which I did. The next step was to find a particular topic of interest to me that I would edit. What I realized whilst trying to make a decision on this, I didn’t want to just edit any page. I wanted to edit a page that I was interested enough to do my research and homework on, so that I would provide beneficial information so that my work would be credible.
I would hope future editors and creators on Wikipedia would go in with the same mindset – editing to provide credible, reliable information so that our beloved Wikipedia can increasingly become more credible. We all enjoy a good Wikipedia read, I enjoy the platform and will continue to use it as a quick search too. I would not have considered ever editing a Wikipedia page if I was not enrolled in this class, I am glad I was able to experience and understand what creating one entails.
Exam Update
For the final exam, in my Biol4095 class, one of the exam questions was to compete the training module and exercises on Wikipedia Edu and compare it to my experience editing a Wikipedia page before the training. From my initial experience editing Wikipedia, I found it to be a little complex with getting used to the setup because it had so much going on. After completing the Wikipedia training, that thoroughly guided me, I have a much better grasp of the website and the functions that I could use to add to the quality and the display of edits. The training was educational and showed me step-by-step what was essential to know in the editing process. It also showed me the ropes around what Wikipedia considers to be plagiarism. This allowed me to go back to my initial edited article and make changes on Plant Ecology in Nigeria. After the module I knew to go back and add references at the end of every point that was supported by an article.
Overall, I found this Wikipedia task to be very useful yet quite educational and interesting, I have garnered skills that are transferable for the future and I am able to see Wikipedia in a different light. Instead of the stigma that is around Wikipedia being an unreliable source. I see it now as tool that can be used to raise public awareness on topics as a first step, especially in this case, in science.
Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2020 