Six simple rules for editing Wikipedia for dummies
Wikipedia is the world’s most successful online encyclopaedia which contains millions of English language articles and is also known as the largest collection of knowledge all assembled in one place. Wikipedia can be edited by anyone who uses the internet. There are several administration members who are also present every second and even edits are done every second in Wikipedia. For worse or better, people are guided to search information mostly on biomedical to increase the need of the scientific community in the society.
Lets go smoothly with the 10 simple rules for editing in Wikipedia.
- Get registered with an account.
No doubt anyone can create a user account credit on Wikipedia the user account also offers a number of benefits. The very first benefit is that it gives you security and privacy. The editor registered under an anonymous username can edit anonymously. There are few who are chosen to associate with their real identities. When you login, you can build a record of good edits and it is easier to communicate and collaborate with others also.
- Learn the five pillars.
The five broad principles which are expected to be known by all the editors are:
- Wikipedia is not a publisher of original thoughts or resources.
- It is not a soap box to experiment your personal theories or to debate on controversial issues.
- There may be differences of opinion in Wikipedia but all the editors and collaborators maintain a civil and respectful manner.
- Wikipedia has no deadlines.
- Anyone can contribute to Wikipedia.
- Be bold, but not reckless.
Participation is the survival and growth of wiki. Wikipedia wants all the uses to be bold and contribute regularly like if you ever spot an error then correct it. If you can improve any article feel free to do it in a bold manner. Many editors may feel insecure or hesitate to join this field but a mistake makes a man perfect.
- Know your audience
Always try to keep a track on the audiences for the article you write, especially the subject that matters the more. For example you review scientific content then your target audience would be mainly from the high school. So try to keep your track.
- Cite, cite, cite.
For maintaining high standards Wikipedia has a strict inclusion policy which demands verifiability. This can be established by attributing statements in Wikipedia to a public source. There may sometimes be challenges given by other editors at some point of view but always prefer reference to your secondary sources for answering the questions. Wikipedia at times provides supporting citations for every sentence.
- Ask for help.
It can be confusing for experienced authors who are just learning the markup. They may appear daunting, though the recent implementation of a new editing toolbar has also been made easier. The policies and guidelines can be a little tricky but the Wikipedia puts great effort to welcome the new editors. Guidelines are always available for the editors as soon as they join. You can also use templates like ‘help me’ for assistance.
