Wikipedia Student Guide

Yes! Although it may seem like a daunting task, Wikipedia encourages first-time editors and students. A nonprofit organization, the WikiEducation Foundation, specifically supports this work and attributes great value to the student perspective. You have a plethora of academic resources and insight at your disposal to fill in crucial public knowledge gaps. Your edits need not be perfect, the joy of Wikipedia is that another member of the community will pick up where you left off on the subject. Have courage in your skills and don’t be afraid to ask for help!

A talk page is a space where Wikipedia editors can discuss potential edits, concerns and comments on a variety of topics. Every article has a talk page and every user page has a talk page. You can find your specific talk page by logging into Wikipedia and clicking on the “Talk” tab on the top right. A sandbox is a space where you can draft potential articles and edits you want to move to mainspace Wikipedia. You can find your sandbox directly to the right of your talk page tab. You can find out more about sandboxes and talk pages here

Head to the dashboard for your course. Click on the “Activity” tab located at the top next to “Uploads.” From there, you can see a list of the various members in your course and the different articles you all have edited since entering the course. By clicking on the “Date/Time” hyperlink, you will find a side by side comparison of the article before and after your edits.

First off, take a deep breath and relax! Getting things taken down is normal and happens to most Wikipedia editors at least once or twice. Head to your user “talk” page, where the editor who screened your edit or article for deletion will list their reasoning for the deletion. Carefully consider the comments made and revise your edits based on them. If you feel as if the comments are unwarranted, start a dialogue with the user who took your page down and defend your edits. Be kind and considerate when justifying yourself. Review Wikipedia’s policies on civility as a guide to forego any unwanted blocks

Reach out to your assigned WikiEd expert to assist you in addressing any problems, questions, and concerns that come up along your editing journey. You can find your expert on the rightmost side of your dashboard home page, under “Details.” From there, send them an email with any relevant screenshots and detailed descriptions of the problems you’re experiencing.

Follow the steps listed under the IP block question in the WikiEducation Foundation’s FAQ’s. If you are still experiencing problems, contact your WikiEd Expert listed on the rightmost side of your dashboard home page, under “Details.”

Yes, at least to make substantial edits. Wikipedia pages must be based on authoritative sources, preferably scholarly articles. Part of learning to edit Wikipedia is learning to do scholarly research.

Yes, ask your instructor if they’ve invited a librarian to conduct a research workshop for your class. On your own, you are always welcome to ask for research assistance from the Library, via 24/7 chat, email, or Zoom appointments. The Library staff are here to help!