Wikimedia UK
NHSF and Wikimedia UK worked together to increase public access to, and engagement with, heritage science research.
Wikipedia Workshops
Over the course of 2017-18, we ran a series of workshops around the UK to develop the skills to work with Wikimedia platforms and the heritage science content on those platforms. We strongly encourage the heritage science community to keep taking part in this initiative!
'How to Edit Wikipedia'
On 28th September 2017, NHSF and Wikimedia UK held their first ‘How To Edit’ workshop at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. This focused on giving participants the skills and confidence to add their knowledge to Wikipedia, with a view to enhancing heritage science contributions.
After a short overview of Wikimedia UK and Wikipedia, the session began with an introduction to style, including encyclopaedic tone and Neutral Point of View. Basic writing and editing tools were then covered: adding content, linking, referencing, and discussion with other users. It turns out that referencing is the most important skill – if you can reference well, you can write Wikipedia!
This new knowledge was put to the test in a ‘free for all’ editing session. Participants selected topics from the GLAM/NHSF Project page and Wikimedia’s own Project page, Wikipedia:GLAM. ‘Improvements’ on Wikipedia covers a range of activities – adding citations, expanding content, correcting biased viewpoints; and many, many more. As such, the session was rounded off with a particular focus: adding images – with open licenses – to Wikipedia articles.
If you’d like to have a go at editing yourself, why not check out our project page? Alternatively, if you find a page that needs editing, add it to the list. Anyone can add to this - you do not need a Wikipedia account. Simply go to the project page and click 'Edit' in the top right, next to the search bar. This will allow you to type suggestions directly into the page.
Current proposed heritage science topics for addition or revision on Wikipedia include: tensile testing; pH; digital and virtual heritage; Heritage BIM; retrofitting historical buildings.
You can also tag us in any projects you’re working on using #NHSFwiki on Twitter.