Wikipedia-Edit-a-thon 2023
The goal of this edit-a-thon is to increase representation of diverse voices and histories in STEM on Wikipedia!
Perhaps you already know who or what you would like to write about, however, if you would like some ideas, check out an extensive list here: IGB Edit-a-thon 2023 Spreadsheet (information will continue to be added up to the edit-a-thon dates).
This list contains diverse individuals from across the sciences, there are even some folks with history at the University of Illinois on this list.
Ask a Librarian
Finding Information in the Library and Beyond
- Biographical Resources LibGuideThere are numerous sources available for people doing biographical research. General reference sources might cover the lives of prominent people throughout history, or give information about important people from a particular country. More specific reference sources might describe the achievements of African Americans, women, or the members of a particular profession such as educators or scientists. The information presented here is intended to provide a brief overview of a few of the most general biographical sources available.
- Chronicling America-Library of CongressSearch America's historic newspaper pages from 1770-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present.
- Find NewspapersUse this guide to locate digitized newspaper collections—collections in which you can perform keyword searches.
- History of Science Resource GuideWhen developing a research topic, or if you're new to the topic you're researching, get started using the following specialized reference books. Find additional relevant readings by consulting bibliographies and citations listed in these works. All are available online as eBooks for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign affiliates.
- Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections (IDNC)All content not in the public domain was donated with the understanding that content would be under fair use. All content used must be cited.
- Biology Virtual Library HomepageAs a virtual space, the online library has a customized Easy Search tab for the Biological Sciences and links to frequently used databases and other useful resources. Subject areas include all aspects of the biological sciences, biochemistry, and bioengineering.
- PubMedProvides access to over 16 million citations from MEDLINE and other life science journals for biomedical articles back to the 1950s. Includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources.
- ScopusScopus is the largest abstract and citation database including peer-reviewed titles from international publishers, Open Access journals, conference proceedings, trade publications and quality web sources. Subject coverage includes: Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Engineering; Life and Health Sciences; Social Sciences, Psychology and Economics; Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
- Web of ScienceEasily search across all subscribed Web of Science databases simultaneously using a common set of search fields for the most comprehensive results. Web of Science indexes core journal articles, conference proceedings, data sets, and other resources in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities.
What to Add to a Wiki Entry
From Wikipedia's "What to Include" page
General scope of facts and information to include
- Some questions to help you understand.
- Should Wikipedia include everything? well, obviously not.
- Should it include all information? well, no, since that includes people's phone numbers, dry-cleaning, etc etc. so again, obviously not.
- Should it include all facts? well, no, but now we are getting closer. it should include those facts that are of historical, societal, scientific, intellectual or academic significance.
Things to Consider When Editing
As you look through the list provided of possible people to highlight in Wikipedia, consider the following about what might be missing from certain pages:
- Is biographical information included about the person?
- Are there images of them or things related to their scientific contribution?
- Is the impact of the work they have done or their place in the field made clear?
- Are the facts in the entry cited?
- Is there an "infobox" with quick information in the entry?
Kelli Trei, Biosciences Librarian
Biology Librarian
Contact:
Biosciences Librarian: Kelli Trei, Liaison to the Schools of Life Sciences in LAS: Molecular & Cellular Biology, Integrative Biology, and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology
218 Funk ACES Library
1101 S. Goodwin Ave., M/C 633
Urbana, IL 61801
218 Funk ACES Library
1101 S. Goodwin Ave., M/C 633
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 244-2503
Website
Subjects: Biology