Difference between revisions of "Submissions:2016/"
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| − | ;Title: |
+ | ;Title: Expanding the Inclusivity of Wikipedia's Community |
| − | ;[[Submissions#Proposal Themes|Theme]]: |
+ | ;[[Submissions#Proposal Themes|Theme]]: Community <!-- community, tech, outreach, GLAM, or education --> |
;[[Submissions#Academic Peer Review Option|Academic Peer Review option]]: Yes<!-- y/n whether the author(s) wishes to be considered by academic peer review subcommittee --> |
;[[Submissions#Academic Peer Review Option|Academic Peer Review option]]: Yes<!-- y/n whether the author(s) wishes to be considered by academic peer review subcommittee --> |
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| − | ;[[Submissions#Presentation Types|Type of submission]]: Presentation |
+ | ;[[Submissions#Presentation Types|Type of submission]]: Presentation<!-- panel, workshop, or presentation --> |
| + | ;Author: M. Paramo |
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| − | ;Author: Jake L. Warner, Michael S. Malley, William R. Heinze |
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| − | ;E-mail address: |
+ | ;E-mail address: mdparamo@gmail.com <!-- this field must be entered, otherwise, submission will not be checked --> |
| − | ;Username: |
+ | ;Username: Mdparamo |
| + | ;Affiliation: None |
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| − | ;Affiliation: Andata; The University of Alabama Education Policy Center<!-- organization, company, etc. --> |
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;Abstract: |
;Abstract: |
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| − | <!-- at least 300 words to describe your proposal --> |
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| − | Information wants to be free — not necessarily “free of charge,” but fundamentally free to evolve and expand. Throughout history, human capital has always been a leading indicator of progress, as each subsequent generation builds upon the collective knowledge of its predecessors to augment the culture, technology, and thought of its time. |
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| + | There is an ongoing need to increase the amount of diverse voices within Wikipedia's ever-expanding global community. Wikipedia exists as one of the most popular websites in the world, yet its content creators, and as a consequence the articles they create, do not wholly reflect human diversity to its fullest extent. It is therefore critical to analyze this problematic reality while simultaneously considering the varying categorizations of gender, race, and sexuality, when attempting to address issues affecting community activity from underrepresented groups on Wikipedia. This analysis delineates solutions to Wikipedia's issues of representation by focusing specifically on the extrinsic channels of higher education and social media as outlets for encouraging inclusivity. |
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| − | In the Digital Age, duplicating and distributing information has practically no cost. Services such as Wikipedia and The Internet Archive have successfully leveraged the ever-declining costs of digital storage and web hosting to demonstrate the capabilities of technology in providing open access to the world's information. Widespread access to Internet devices — possessed by 46.1% of the global population and 88.5% of the U.S.[[http://www.internetlivestats.com/internet-users/us/ 1]] — and low barriers to entry have enabled the creation not only of an online ecosystem conducive to rapid dissemination of news and information, but of a global, knowledge-sharing hub. Compare this to the traditional publishing model, in which printing and distribution relied upon publishers' massive economies of scale; only large institutions such as publishers and universities could amass collections of expensive texts, and publishers (including university presses) alone possessed the necessary infrastructure to produce these works. These institutions acted as gatekeepers to what would enter public knowledge. This new model should, logically, herald unprecedented exploration and progress as new and old information is assimilated into the academic corpus. |
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| + | As institutions of higher education become more receptive to the usage of Wikipedia within the classroom, it is important to consider how this may increase the inclusion of voices and perspectives and alter the demographics of Wikipedia's community. The majority of universities are becoming more diverse and representative environments in which embracing one's identity, whether that be in regards to gender, race, sexuality, etc., is often ensured and regularly encouraged. In considering this, the developing relationship between Wikipedia and students in higher education can only be one that is mutually beneficial to both parties, by simultaneously ameliorating issues of representation on Wikipedia as well as enhancing the overall quality of the very content that students frequently access on the site. |
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| − | Recently, revolutions in open access publishing for journals have created a new dialogue, and open journals are rapidly gaining credence among academics. Beyond the immediate impact of rejuvenating the public domain, these journals have redefined the information economy; no longer is information a commodity, but a public good. Primary-sourced knowledge is more accessible now than ever. |
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| + | Social media has a complex relationship with Wikipedia, playing an integral role in influencing content creation as well as the behaviors of community members. It is important to recognize that engaging with users of social media for the purposes of encouraging inclusivity within Wikipedia's community also exemplifies the grassroots ideology intrinsic to the site's uniqueness and success. The existence of phenomena such as "edit-a-thons" and support groups on social media platforms is a successful tactic that encourages and increases diverse voices within Wikipedia's community, whether that be in regards to feminist, queer, or other socially conscious individuals. With the immense reach that social media platforms and other online communities possess comes great potential to increase inclusion, and subsequently, diverse content on Wikipedia. <!-- at least 300 words to describe your proposal --> |
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| − | Textbook publishers, on the other hand, have resisted this phenomenon and attempted to circumvent open access by peddling secondary and tertiary sources of information. What we have seen and will continue to see is that legacy publishers have attempted to monopolize electronic distribution with their closed platforms — and at a premium cost to students. A 2012 study by the American Enterprise Institute found that the price of textbooks in America has risen 812% since 1978 and more than doubled in the past decade[[http://www.aei.org/publication/the-college-textbook-bubble-and-how-the-open-educational-resources-movement-is-going-up-against-the-textbook-cartel/ 2]], and students are reeling. Why has this industry, which is largely responsible for curating the information that is taught in educational institutions worldwide, forsaken the interests of its constituents? |
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| + | ;Length of presentation: 15 Minutes |
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| − | This presentation will explore this problem in depth, tracing its origin and manifestation, and propose several potential solutions. In particular, it will examine the open textbook movement, which seeks to bring the open source philosophy to the textbook industry. Lastly, it will survey current legislation and the legislative reforms that have been proposed to rectify access with profit. |
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| + | ;Special schedule requests: Cannot present October 10th. |
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| − | ;Length of presentation: 30 minutes<!-- 30-45 min. for panels, 30-75 min. for workshops, 15-30 min. for presentations --> |
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| + | ;Preferred room size: 20 |
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| − | ;Special schedule requests: Saturday strongly preferred; Sunday or Monday acceptable<!-- (for example - can not present on Saturday) --> |
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| − | ;Preferred room size: As large as is available<!-- (how many do you think will be in audience? e.g. 10, 25, 50, 100, will try to match, but larger rooms have limited availability) --> |
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| − | |||
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Latest revision as of 14:22, 13 March 2017
- Title
- Expanding the Inclusivity of Wikipedia's Community
- Theme
- Community
- Type of submission
- Presentation
- Author
- M. Paramo
- E-mail address
- mdparamo@gmail.com
- Username
- Mdparamo
- Affiliation
- None
- Abstract
There is an ongoing need to increase the amount of diverse voices within Wikipedia's ever-expanding global community. Wikipedia exists as one of the most popular websites in the world, yet its content creators, and as a consequence the articles they create, do not wholly reflect human diversity to its fullest extent. It is therefore critical to analyze this problematic reality while simultaneously considering the varying categorizations of gender, race, and sexuality, when attempting to address issues affecting community activity from underrepresented groups on Wikipedia. This analysis delineates solutions to Wikipedia's issues of representation by focusing specifically on the extrinsic channels of higher education and social media as outlets for encouraging inclusivity.
As institutions of higher education become more receptive to the usage of Wikipedia within the classroom, it is important to consider how this may increase the inclusion of voices and perspectives and alter the demographics of Wikipedia's community. The majority of universities are becoming more diverse and representative environments in which embracing one's identity, whether that be in regards to gender, race, sexuality, etc., is often ensured and regularly encouraged. In considering this, the developing relationship between Wikipedia and students in higher education can only be one that is mutually beneficial to both parties, by simultaneously ameliorating issues of representation on Wikipedia as well as enhancing the overall quality of the very content that students frequently access on the site.
Social media has a complex relationship with Wikipedia, playing an integral role in influencing content creation as well as the behaviors of community members. It is important to recognize that engaging with users of social media for the purposes of encouraging inclusivity within Wikipedia's community also exemplifies the grassroots ideology intrinsic to the site's uniqueness and success. The existence of phenomena such as "edit-a-thons" and support groups on social media platforms is a successful tactic that encourages and increases diverse voices within Wikipedia's community, whether that be in regards to feminist, queer, or other socially conscious individuals. With the immense reach that social media platforms and other online communities possess comes great potential to increase inclusion, and subsequently, diverse content on Wikipedia.
- Length of presentation
- 15 Minutes
- Special schedule requests
- Cannot present October 10th.
- Preferred room size
- 20
- Will you attend WikiConference North America if your submission is not accepted?
- Maybe
Interested attendees
If you are interested in attending this session, please sign with your username below. This will help reviewers to decide which sessions are of high interest. Sign with four tildes. (~~~~).
- Add your username here.