Submissions:2025/Tapping Free Knowledge for Fun and Profit
This submission has been noted and is pending review for WikiConference North America 2025.
Title:
- Tapping Free Knowledge for Fun and Profit
Type of session:
- Lecture (15-30 min)
Session theme(s):
- Credibility
Abstract:
Writing for traditional print publication requires research in unexpected areas. Using the example of a single historic individual’s biography, topics researched included education during Ireland’s Great Famine, harness racing in 19th century New York, the chemistry of silver refining on the Comstock Lode, the geology of the Boulder Batholith, and a side trip on the historic railroads of Montana—plus locating historic images, maps, and diagrams. Free knowledge found in Wikimedia projects provides a gateway to reliable sources, quality research materials, databases and top scholarship. The vast resources of libraries and archives are not easily located by traditional search techniques, but starting with Wikipedia opens a door to source materials from around the world. Locating and using credible materials is a two-way street: The process of research and writing non-fiction requires access to free knowledge found in galleries, libraries, archives, and museums, but in turn, the published final project returns credible reliable sources for use on Wikipedia, media for Commons, and adds to the free knowledge base for everyone. This talk will discuss the use of Wikipedia as a gateway to reliable sources, using examples from the presenter’s work over the past five years.
Author name(s):
Wikimedia username(s):
- Montanabw
Affiliated organization(s):
- Wikimedians of the U.S. Mountain West
Estimated length of session
- 15-30 (prefer 30)
Will you be presenting remotely?
- I will present in-person
Okay to livestream?
- Livestreaming is okay
Previously presented?
- Not on this specific topic, no. Have presented on a different topic at WCNA 2016, have presented many times regionally on topics related to the published works in question, and did lightening talk on moving from editing WP to traditional publishing at WCNA 2019 and on research in 2015 at WCUSA. This talk will have different content (fewer horses).
Special requests:
- Will bring PowerPoint and laptop. Will need to use venue projection system, prefer if system allows sound clips in PowerPoint to play. (I no longer take this for granted).