Wikipedia Project Reflections
The main changes I made in the “Fugitive Pieces” article includes reorganizing the structure of the article-- adding sections, moving paragraphs elsewhere-- and inputting more information with reputable references. The original page consisted of two sections that had repeating information and only two citations. In most Wikipedia articles for novels, not only is there a plot summary but there is also a list of the main characters, in addition to having sections on the novel’s literary style, and critical reception. Not only do these added sections organize the information, but they also make the article look visually appealing and give visitors an easier time to navigate the page and find the information quicker. Also, with the added sources, the article promotes a more credible insight.
How was your experience as a peer reviewer and how was the feedback you received from your peer reviewers?
Overall, I think the feedback I received from my peer reviewers were extremely helpful in that it guided me to the parts of my draft that needed the most attention. As a writer, I tend to look at my work as a whole and find it hard to focus on one particular section. With the peer reviews, it is easier to see which paragraph or sentence may need more work and which parts are fine. Likewise, I also enjoyed being a peer reviewer. I find it beneficial to read over other people’s work because it gives me ideas on how to better my article as well as introduce me to other writing styles. In regards to this being a Wikipedia project, it also exposed me to new articles on people or literary works that I may not have known before.
What is the difference between writing for Wikipedia versus the classroom?
I find writing for Wikipedia is not that different from writing a report or research paper in the classroom. Like the traditional report or research paper, the student must do their own work and look for academic sources that carry viable information. While there may be no thesis to argue or hypothesis to prove, the work put into Wikipedia does have a purpose: to provide reliable information to the public. With this in mind, the main difference between writing for Wikipedia and the classroom is the viewer. For Wikipedia, the viewer is the general public whereas in the classroom it is the teacher, which suggests a more private writing experience.
Do you have any suggestions for improving the assignment or the Wikipedia process?
For me, the hardest part of this assignment was choosing an article. Although Wikipedia does have a very long list of articles that need improvement, it can be overwhelming to browse through. The lists are categorized into sections based on the topics of the articles, but I think, in order to further organize it, having subcategories or even a different page layout will add clarity for the user.